


Changed Faith

by Jackkastiel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesiac Castiel (Supernatural), Blasphemy, Castiel Has Powers (Supernatural), Dean Winchester is Bad at Feelings, Faith Healer Castiel, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jealous Dean Winchester, Lack of Communication, Light Angst, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Minor Character Death, Original Character Death(s), POV Castiel (Supernatural), Priest Kink, Priests, Slow Build Castiel/Dean Winchester, Slow Burn, Temporary Amnesia, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Winchester Man Pain (Supernatural)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:47:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24591805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackkastiel/pseuds/Jackkastiel
Summary: After waking by a river, alone and with no memory, Castiel decides he has to find out who he is, and what his purpose on earth is. However, he finds he has certain "gifts", and it appears he can heal others by sacrificing his energy. But he can also see strange faces among the towns people that no one else seems to notice. Dark faces, inhuman... and he knows, for some reason, they're here to find him.
Relationships: Castiel (Supernatural)/Original Male Character(s), Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 15
Kudos: 19





	1. Hells Bells

He just can't get any peace. The chirp of birds and the loud rumble of a river continues to fill the morning air, stirring him from his sleep. The sun is unbearably bright, and with nothing around to shield a sleeping face from its gaze, he stirs from his sleep. The man lifts an arm in hopes that he can shield some of the beaming sun and gain another moment of rest. As soon as the fabric of his coat touches his cheek, his eyes shoot open.

_Something's coming._

The adrenaline in his body prepares him for a fight, jerking him up into a seated position. There was something he was running from the night before. Something... But he can't remember what. As he tries to think about it longer, the faint memory fades into nothingness. He takes a deep breath, placing a hand on his chest to soothe himself. It had to be a nightmare. He must have just awoken from a terrible dream. That's all that it could've been. Because if he was truly running, why would he have slept here last night? 

Here... Where exactly is _here ?_

Sitting on the sandy river bank, his head swings from left to right, eyes still blinking as they struggle to adjust to the daylight. As he starts to find his bearings, he relaxes more. There doesn't seem to be any sign of danger anywhere near him. In fact, nobody is here at all. 

He rises to his feet, brushing the coarse sand off of his slacks. He was wrong, this seems like a rather peaceful spot. It appears he's in a small clearing by a river, surrounded by woods. The river was far closer than he would've guessed when his eyes were closed. In fact, he could practically jump in from where he stood in the sand. He takes a few steps towards the edge of the water, pausing to examine his reflection. _Who is that?_ He's moderately attractive, as far as he can tell, with dark hair and a decent build. He doesn't recognize the reflection, but as he stares it's obvious it must be himself that he's looking at. Noticing from his reflection that he's covered in filth, he brushes off some of the sand and dirt on his coat as he stares into the steadily moving water. 

As much as he probably needs to bathe to clean the rest of this off, the tide seems too strong to calmly wade into. More importantly, he can't remember if he can swim. That might be an issue, given if he can't swim he'll be swept away.

Come to think of it, he can't remember a lot of things. How he wound up sleeping by a river, for instance. Then there's what he was doing before he fell asleep... And then there's his name...

_I can't remember my own name?_

It's on the tip of his tongue, but it isn't coming to him, as much as he tries to recall, it's blank.

_It's my name, I should know it... God, what's my name...? It's..._

A whisper in his ear speaks in a calming voice that he's heard before, somewhere, gently reminding him. A sigh of relief leaves his chapped lips, eyes closing as he comes down from his panic. His name is Castiel.

xxx

Castiel walks along the river's edge, eyes searching desperately for something that he remembers. He knows he must've seen something yesterday as he found his way to sleep on the bank, but nothing looks at all familiar, and the events of the day before are completely blank.

_Ding-dong._

A bell ringing in the distance snaps him out of his thoughts. His eyes search through the trees that surround the river, trying to gain an idea of where that sound came from. If he squints, he can barely make out a spire through the top of the trees. A church perhaps? If the bells are sounding, that has to mean there's at least one person there who can answer his questions, right? At the very least it's worth checking out. 

Eager to investigate, he picks up the pace and starts at a jog. This has to be the way; the bells are getting louder. His shoes pound against the dirt as he leaves the river's side and draws closer to the trees. He's running now, through the trees, across the grass. He can hear the rumble of a car engine between rings of the large bell. Rounding through a few last trees and shrubs, Castiel emerges from the woods.

As soon as he's through the bush line, his shoes hit asphalt. He's in a parking lot. From where he's standing, he can see the church with the tall spire across the street, bells ringing to chime the hour. It seems the parking lot he's standing in belongs to an elementary school, judging from the fenced in playground equipment and small field on the side of the property. If he squints down the road, he can just make out a diner to the left. Now to choose where to find someone to speak to about where exactly he is.

"Alright... Help. Where do I find help?" He asks himself under his breath, a frown on his face. His voice is deep and gravelly as if it hasn't been used in a while, and for all he knows it hasn't.

Crossing the parking lot and heading towards the street, he earns a suspicious glance from a mother ushering her young child into the school building. The child is definitely late for class. Luckily for Castiel, the mother seems too worried about her tardiness to stop the mumbling stranger. Judging from the look she gave him, finding directions at the school is out. In his tan coat, covered in dirt, he doesn't look like a man who should be around young children.

Standing on the sidewalk, he takes a look in both directions. To the left he sees a gas station down the road. To the right is what appears to be a residential district that surrounds the area. It wouldn't be a leap to say the residents would not enjoy a strange man knocking on their doors for answers. Left it is.

Before he takes another step, Castiel's eye is drawn to the church once more as the final bell sounds. Ten o'clock, he counts. His eyes trace the building and land on one of the stained glass windows. A portrait of an angel seems to taunt him with its knowing smile and tiny wings.

"That's unsettling." Castiel mutters to himself, tearing his eyes away from the cherub. Something in his chest, perhaps instinct, tells him that he might find some answers if he goes into that church. But a part of his mind, however small, begs for him to go anywhere else.

Brushing off the church entirely, he decides to wander further down the street to the left, towards the gas station. It should be open at this hour, and a gas station means he can ask for directions to... Wherever it is that he needs to go. He'll figure that out when he gets to it. It also means he can buy some water, and possibly some snacks...

Castiel's stomach lets out a low rumble in response to the tease of food. It feels like he hasn't eaten anything in years. Hopefully the residents of this town are friendly... So friendly that they'll accept a firm handshake for a meal. Because that's about all he has to offer.

While walking down the street, it occurs to Castiel that he might want to check his pockets for any spare cash. Perhaps he's the type of person to keep some emergency funds on him somewhere. Left pocket, right pocket, nothing. _Damn_. He reaches inside of his tan coat, fumbling within the inner pocket. His fingers brush past what feels like leather. A wallet, perhaps? It must be. As he frees it from the pocket, he frowns, flipping the leathery wallet open.

It's not a traditional wallet. No cash inside, but instead what appears to be an identification card and a badge of some sort. The card reads: _Special Agent Castiel Beyoncé._

A fake. He may not know much, but it's clear to him that this isn't a legitimate badge. So that explains why he's wearing an outfit that belongs to a tax accountant. He must've been in costume for something the night before.

Peeking out of the side of the leather badge holder is the corner of something made of paper. A note to himself? He gives it a small tug and reveals a folded photograph. It's a picture of two men laughing, one tall, one moderate height. Neither of them seem to be him, judging from his reflection earlier, which brings up more questions in his mind. He flips the picture over in his fingers, studying its contents. There's some barely legible handwriting dating the photo to a few years ago, and what could be names written on the photo, but the pen has faded from water damage. Who are these men? Were they friends? Family? And why does Castiel have their photo?

His fingertips hesitate as they gently brush over the face of one of the two mystery men. There's a familiar pull in his chest as he looks at him. A name desperately wants to front in his mind, but focusing on it causes it to fade before too long. 

Disregarding the photograph for now, Castiel tucks it back into the badge holder, which he returns to his coat pocket. He remembers that he hasn't checked his rear pockets yet, and when he slips a hand inside it produces a ten dollar bill. That's enough for something cheap to snack on and a bottle of water, at least. 

Entering the gas station, the chimes of the bells tied to the door draw the attention of a young gas station employee.

"Need help findin' anything, you let me know." The cashier says unenthusiastically. He seems tired, and overall displeased to be working the morning shift. His can of energy drink on the counter will soon remedy the first problem.

Castiel nods, making his way absentmindedly towards the food on the shelves. He picks up a basket and tosses in a few granola bars, then heads to the cooler where he retrieves two water bottles. Checking his stock, he has the nagging feeling that he's forgetting something. Instinctively, as if he's done this before, he heads towards the pastries. His eyes gloss over most of the items, unimpressed. They don't seem to have whatever it is he's looking for, and instead he finds himself turning towards the gas station attendant.

"Actually," Castiel begins, walking towards the front counter, "I could use some help." He pauses, glancing down at the name tag of the young man. He gives another moment of thought before adding, "I don't know how I found myself in this town."

The gas station employee, Jeremy, according to the name tag, snorts a laugh. "Yeah, you're telling me, man. I can't wait to get out of here."

Not exactly the response Castiel was looking for. He takes a step closer, squinting at the employee. "What I meant was, I don't know where I am. If you could point me in a direction, that would be helpful."

The lack of amusement in Castiel's tone seemed to give Jeremy the clue that he was serious. "Sure, man. Uh, we're in Boylston, Tennessee." Jeremy takes an uninterested look out the front windows, noticing the lack of any automobiles at the pumps. With a confused and suddenly skeptical look, the man sizes up Castiel. "How did you get here? Only got the main road coming in. There's no way you walked."

Castiel ignores his line of questioning, because truthfully he doesn't know the answer either. Instead, he places his basket of granola bars and water on the counter, retrieving the ten dollar bill from his pocket to pay. 

Ringing up the waters and snacks, Jeremy takes the ten dollar bill and gives Castiel his coins in return change. "You're not gettin' far out of town on foot, you know. If I had a car I'd be long gone by now. But I don't. Hence the job." He gives an annoyed look at the clock, as if hoping his shift will magically be over. "My advice? Head to the motel. They've got plenty of open beds to stay in while you wait for a buddy to come rescue you from this hellhole." Jeremy handed over the bag of items with a nod. "It's two blocks down on the left. Broken sign out front. Can't miss it."

So he's stuck in a town of apparent misery. _Phenomenal_.

"Thank you." Castiel responded, taking the bag of goods from the young cashier. He was not going to spare the energy explaining to a disinterested young adult that he doesn't have the funds to rent a motel room, even for one night. There's also the issue that he has no "buddies" to call. But there's no harm checking the place out.

He leaves the gas station with a sigh, which reminds him of how parched he is. Pausing to open one of the bottles of water, he drinks until the bottle is nearly empty, like it has the most delicious flavor of any beverage. Screwing the cap back on, he places it back into the plastic grocery bag with the rest of his items. He retrieves one of the granola bars, and begins to eat it as he starts to walk. Two blocks down, on the left, broken sign. Simple enough. 

Sure enough, at the end of the second block stands a motel with a sign out front. The only legible letters that remain on the sign read, "No Vac." Someone must've taken a baseball bat to the sign and broken off the remainder of the word Vacancies. Luckily for Castiel, upon inspecting the sign, the "No" seems as if it's supposed to be covered by a piece of wood that's currently swinging to the side, hanging on by a single nail.

Seems like a high quality establishment. At least there's a group of lovely flowers planted around the sign to offset some of the eyesore. He continues on, pushing open the door to the reception area. 

"Just a minute please!" A woman calls from an unseen room. Her voice is followed by a few pans clanging in a sink. From the door down the hall labeled "Staff" comes a woman, apron tied around her waist with suds in her hair. She seems disheveled, but relieved to see a fresh face. As she slips behind the front counter, she removes the apron and tosses it into the office behind her. "I'm sorry about that, I was just cleaning up. What size room do you need? Queen bed?" She leans over the counter, checking to see if anyone else is waiting outside through the window. "Or we could set you up with two singles, if you'd like."

Castiel shakes his head, trying to ignore the bubbles slowly popping in the woman's brown hair. "I'm alone. But I'm in a bit of trouble," He explains. "I don't have a car to leave town, and I don't have any money."

He can pinpoint the moment the woman's excitement to have a new guest fades.

"No car? How did you make it into town?" She frowns, thinking it over. She looks as if she's going to offer an explanation right before Castiel speaks up again.

"Truthfully? I don't know. I woke up outside of town, and I can't remember how I got there." He notices her shock, and tries to reassure her. "I don't seem to be in bad condition, so I don't believe I was attacked." 

She doesn't seem reassured at all. "That's terrible! The least I can do is call somebody for you, sweetheart. I have a phone in my office that you're free to use. My name's Kendra, by the way." She turns to grab the phone, but continues talking. "Do you need anything to drink? Some food? I was gonna make myself some lunch pretty soon anyway."

Castiel finds himself smiling slightly. This woman, Kendra, seems completely different than the boy at the gas station. Maybe this town isn't a hellhole at all. "That would be nice, but I can't remember who to call." He says as he lifts the small plastic bag to show Kendra that he has what he needs. "And I also just ate, but thank you. You're very kind."

She seems upset to learn that he doesn't have anyone to call, but brushes it off with a huff. "Alright, here's what I'm gonna do for you." Kendra grabs a key off of a small hook behind the desk, and jingles it towards Castiel. "You have the room. But I'm in need of a strong man around here to help me fix some things. You look up to the task." She offers him a grin. "Sound like a fair trade?"

Obviously she's playing it up so Castiel feels less guilty, but there's still a hint of truth to her words if the sign out front is any indicator. It seems there's a lot that needs fixing that she can't do on her own. He doesn't know much about fixing things, but he's prepared to listen to direction and do what he can. "That sounds fair." Castiel attempts to reach out and grab the keys, but before he can she pulls them away. 

"Ah, ah, not so fast. I need a name for the reservation to be official." Kendra says teasingly, giving the keys another short jingle as her left hand sits on her hip.

"Right." He responds, but then he hesitates. Normal people have two names. He only has the one. Think quickly. "My name's Castiel..." He glances out the window, desperately searching for a name he can borrow. _Motel... No. Uh... Flowers..._

_You sound ridiculous._

His eye catches sight of the broken sign, and he squints at it. _No Vac_.

"No...vac.." He whispers. _That'll have to do._

"Castiel Novac." With the most sincere look he can muster, he extends his hand for Kendra to shake. 

She doesn't seem aware that he's lying, or perhaps she just doesn't care, because she takes his hand and shakes it firmly. "Nice to meet you Castiel. Welcome to the best motel in town." She flashes another playful grin, tossing over the keys. "Your room is number 108. I changed the linens and put in fresh towels earlier today. Now we don't traditionally serve breakfast, but if you care to join me for a morning we can eat and get started on repairs." She starts writing down his name on a sheet of paper, along with the room number. "Also, the motel has quiet hours after ten, and if you're noisy I'm gonna have to kick your ass. I have a six year old daughter that needs her sleep." Kendra looks up from the paper to give him a firm stare, but her face quickly returns back to its usual kind expression.

A loud _kerplunk_ followed by an unhappy " _Mrowww_!" disrupts their conversation and draws her attention back to her room. "Damn it, Jasper." She sighed heavily. "Excuse me, I've got some dishes I need to finish and a cat to save." With that, she scurried back to the "Staff" room, disappearing behind the door.

Alone again. Now that there's no one to discipline him if he snoops, he takes the time to fully examine his surroundings. On the check out desk there sits a framed photograph of a young girl, likely the one mentioned in the ass-kicking warning, and an orange maine coon. So that's Jasper. The frame is covered in flowers poorly cut out of construction paper. They somewhat resemble the ones outside by the sign. At least they're consistent.

He turns his attention to the apron that Kendra left as she hurried back into her room, and then eyes the office behind the check-out counter. There could be money stored in there...

Castiel doesn't know a lot about himself, but he knows he doesn't want to steal from the woman who selflessly provided a place for him to sleep. Besides, even if he did want to see what cash he could find, this place seems a little too run down to have much on hand. 

Pushing that thought down, he walks out the front door, glancing at his new room key. 108. Following the numbers through the parking lot, he eventually arrives at the room that matches his key and unlocks the door. Once inside, he takes a quick look around to assess his surroundings. It's nicer than what he pictured. There's a decent bathroom, an area for him to cook breakfast if he wants, and even a table with two chairs. And of course, most importantly there's a queen size bed for him to sleep on, with a television on the opposite wall. _Heaven_ , Castiel thinks to himself. 

Carefully he puts his water bottles into the mini fridge, setting the remaining granola bar on the counter as well. After Kendra teaches him to fix things, he'll have to use his new ability around town. Especially if he ever wants to earn his own money to buy food. With his stomach satisfied for the moment, he can focus on other things. For example, he hadn't noticed just how dirty he really is until now. No wonder he got weird looks. He places the room key on the nightstand and immediately begins undressing himself for a hot shower. He sure hopes that this place has hot water.

He eases off his shoes with his feet and tosses his coat on one of the two chairs, then proceeds into the bathroom. There's a few fresh white towels hanging on the towel rack as promised. Castiel sheds his suit jacket and lays it on the counter, and then begins unbuttoning his shirt. As his fingers fumble over the small white buttons, he glances up at himself in the mirror.

_Who are you, Castiel? Why can't you remember?_

Closing the door behind him, Castiel slips his shirt off of his shoulders to join the jacket on the counter. Suddenly, he blinks at his reflection in disbelief and immediately ducks his head to stare at himself. His fingers trace the outline of strange lettering tattooed onto the left side of his ribs. It's a foreign language, but he seems to understand it anyway. 

"Hidden from... Angels?" Castiel scoffs to himself, letting the hand drop from the lettering. _Ridiculous_. His first thought is that he must have had religious parents. He must've gone through some sort of rebellious phase at some point in his life. Nothing more rebellious than getting a tattoo.

Unzipping his pants, he drops them and steps out, proceeding to remove his boxers and socks. He lets them join the rest of his clothes on the counter, and takes a final glance at himself in the mirror. _Not bad,_ he thinks to himself. With a turn of the shower knob, the water springs to life, misting Castiel while still out of the tub. The water pressure seems good, that's for sure. One less thing he's going to have to help fix. 

He gives the shower a minute or two to heat up, and after testing to make sure it won't freeze him, he steps under the shower head. As soon as the hot water touches his flesh, the muscles in his back instantly thank him. He shifts to try to cover as much skin with the stream as he can, and a gentle sigh of pleasure escapes his lips while his head tilts back to enjoy the steady stream of water. He grabs a small container of body wash and pours it into his fingers, lazily scrubbing over his torso and arms to get the dirt off of him.

He ventures lower with his fingers, down his abdomen and over his hips. He pauses for a moment, contemplative, and then decides against the thought in his mind; He's too exhausted.

Finishing off everywhere else he missed, Castiel straightens up and ducks his head under the flow of water. He could stay here forever, watching the filth and suds rinse off of him and flow down the drain. Instead, he lathers up some shampoo and massages it through his dark hair, rinsing it out with closed eyes. He deserves this moment of calm after everything he'd gone through in the last few hours. At least, he thinks he does.

The water begins to cool on Castiel's skin, and he shuts off the shower with a twist to the metallic knob. It feels like nowhere near long enough for the water to already be chilling, but he needs a reason to get out. Otherwise he may stay forever. Lazily stepping out of the tub and grabbing one of the fluffy towels, he dries himself the best that he can before hanging the towel to dry.

Now only partially damp, he swipes a hand through the fog on the mirror, eyes focusing on his own features.

He'll find out who he is soon enough. He knows it.

Pulling on his boxers and deciding to forgo any heavier clothing, Castiel leaves the rest of his attire on the bathroom counter. He leaves open the door to free some of the steam that the ceiling fan missed, and steps out into the main part of his room.

The bed looks extremely inviting. If he had a quarter, he might even try to find out what that little "magic fingers" box beside the bed does. With a final survey of the room for anything he may have missed before, he decides that he can comfortably rest for a bit.

He pulls back the covers of the bed and takes a moment to stretch his back, the few quiet pops easing some of the tension he still holds. With hair still slightly damp from his shower, his head hits the pillow and his eyes shut instantly. When he wakes, maybe he'll investigate more of the town.

Despite the clock on his bedside table barely reading noon, Castiel feels as if he hasn't had quality sleep in... Actually, as far as he can remember, he's only slept once, and his rest by the river was hardly a comfortable one at that. 

As he starts to drift off, the image of the smiling cherub on the church window flickers through his mind, taunting him once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I suppose I've finally caved, and have officially written a chapter in my first fanfic. Motel woman (as I called her while planning out her character) is named after a friend who all but forced me to write this, so thank you Kendra for the obligation to start this fic.
> 
> I'll clarify a few more things in the notes that may not be explicitly covered as the plot progresses, but none of it will include spoilers for the upcoming chapters. There's a few tags I might end up adding, depending where things go- Until then, enjoy the drama.


	2. Give Me A Sign

It's been a few days since Castiel found his way into this remote town, and he's been extremely busy ever since. As it turns out, trying to figure out who you are is very time consuming. Other than that, however, he's had absolutely nothing to do besides watch whatever television channels the motel gets. A hospital drama came on as he was channel surfing, and for a moment he'd considered heading to a hospital himself. But without funds, it'd be nearly impossible for him to get any service. 

On top of that, the nearest hospital is thirty minutes away. By car. Which he doesn't have.

He'd hate to have to ask the motel owner, Kendra, for spare change for a bus ticket when she's already done so much for him. He feels guilty enough as it is. She's providing a place for him to sleep for free, after all. As if that wasn't enough, Castiel returned to his motel room one night to find a few packs of ramen noodles outside of his door, along with a clean pot to cook them in. She's clearly taken it upon herself not to let him starve. 

She truly picked the best food to give to someone who can't remember how to cook. Even someone like Castiel can figure out how to cook noodles when the instructions are on the back. Granted, the first time he tried, he boiled the aluminum pack of seasoning instead of opening it and pouring it in, but nobody was around to catch him, so he can pretend that little blunder never happened. 

On this particular morning, as Castiel lays in his bed, his stomach rumbles to beg for food. He glances at the noodle packages on the counter and sighs quietly, knowing he should probably ration them out so they last as long as possible. The taste of noodles and beef flavoring doesn't sound like the most appetizing breakfast, either. Especially not when that's all he's been eating for a few days.

Sitting up and earning a creak from the mattress below him, he plants his socked feet onto the carpet of the motel room. Once more his stomach reminds him that he should eat, but he pushes the thought away as he heads into the bathroom. He silently thanks Kendra for providing the rooms with sample size toothpaste as he smears some onto his finger. He may not remember his last name, but he remembers that dental hygiene is important.

When he finishes brushing his teeth, he recalls something that Kendra told him on the first day of his stay, _"...If you care to join me ... we can eat and get started on repairs."_

As guilty as Castiel may feel using her for food, he doesn't have many other options. At least this way he's giving her something back to repay her, and working his way towards repaying his debt. He has a feeling that he may be working quite a few jobs before he feels satisfied that they're even.

First thing's first, he'll need to be taught how to repair things.

Leaving the bathroom and heading towards the door, Castiel decides to leave his tan coat and suit jacket behind. They're in their usual place, tossed over the back of one of his chairs. As far as he can tell from the foliage outside, it's spring time, and most days the temperature outside reflects that. It's far too hot for a heavy coat.

Castiel rolls up the sleeves of his white button up, making sure he's ready to work for his meal. He still looks much too formal when all that he's doing is fixing things, but being that these are the only clothes that he owns, he'll have to make due.

Grabbing the room key, and giving the room a final once over, he steps out of the room and shuts the door behind him. He locks it, and then places the key into his pants pocket. Having a place to sleep has lifted a lot of the burden of his current situation. No matter what happens, at least he knows he can go back to his own room at the end of the night. Finally, he begins the short walk to the reception area, stomach still rumbling eagerly.

As soon as the door opens, he can hear a commotion from inside. Kendra is chasing a little girl around the reception area, sunscreen in hand. "If you're going to play outside you need it! I don't care that it stinks, you're gonna get a sunburn!" She scolds, chasing the girl around the front desk. Seemingly not noticing the fact that somebody else entered the building, the child whips around the side of the front desk in an attempt to flee out the door, but instead runs into the legs of Castiel.

Surprised by the collision, Castiel quickly catches the girl before she falls over, and then as fast as he grabbed her, she is released again. Recognizing her as the girl from the photograph that he found on the front desk the other day, he looks towards the little girl's mother apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't see her coming from behind the counter." Turning his attention back to the child, Castiel bends down to face her. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

The girl squeaks and retreats to her mother's side, hiding behind a leg. 

Kendra sighs softly, but she's still smiling. "Don't worry, Katie is just a little shy around new guests." Giving her child a nudge, she encourages her to speak up. "Say hi, Katelyn. This is Castiel. He's gonna help me fix up some of the broken stuff around here." She returns her gaze from the child, Katie, to Castiel, giving a look to confirm her statement. "Isn't that right?"

"That's right," Castiel begins, turning to look out of the glass window to eye the sign and the bed of flowers around it, "I'm going to help fix that sign so that the flowers can be the first thing people notice."

Katie steps out from behind her mother to follow Castiel's gaze toward the flowers. Her mother uses the opportunity to begin spreading sunscreen onto the distracted child's arms and face. "You like my flowers? I planted them all by myself. I didn't even have any help! Except Mom... And Uncle Daniel..." Katie rambled, wriggling away from her mother as she was being covered in sunscreen. "They're my favorite flower, and in school we learned all about them!"

Returning his attention to the suddenly talkative and very enthusiastic child, Castiel offers a smile. "They're very lovely. You did a good job with them."

Are all children this passionate when they talk about plants? It's kind of adorable, he has to admit.

Kendra releases her daughter as soon as she's done applying the sunscreen, and gives her the okay to go. "All done. Go crazy." Those seem to be the magic words, because Katie suddenly sprints past Castiel and straight out the door towards a patch of grass. "And no bugging Jasper!" Kendra adds, but the little girl doesn't stick around to hear the warning, the glass door already swinging shut. "Goofball." Kendra mutters fondly.

Clearing his throat, Castiel wipes his hands on his slacks. "I'm ready to help you fix whatever you see fit." He tries his best to look confident, but the action falls short.

With a giggle at Castiel's determined expression, Kendra claps her hands together. "Excellent. First item on the agenda is that god-awful sign out front. The post itself seems sturdy enough, but I need you to help me hang the new sign up. I would've done it myself, or even called my brother... But it's a two person job and he's always busy at the church." She runs a hand through her hair, attempting to straighten it. "I've been planning to schedule a day to do it, but haven't really gotten around to it. Besides, our bigger sign with our name is still functional." She frowns, tapping her chin with her finger. "It's really just the heavy liftin' I need help with. Once we lift it up, you can hold it in place as I screw it in."

Pretending that he _definitely_ understands what she's saying, and was _totally_ listening, he gives a nod in agreement. "That sounds simple enough."

Truthfully, he caught about half of that, and got distracted when she mentioned the church. Something about that place seems strange to him, and some part of him wants to stay as far away as possible.

Without warning, his stomach lets out another loud grumble to complain about his lack of breakfast. Castiel covers it with a hand, hoping to use his willpower to quiet it. _I can eat later..._ Another growl.

It's practically arguing back at this point.

"Ah, you're hungry!" Kendra says, interrupting his internal argument against his stomach. Good thing too, because he was losing. "I almost forgot I promised breakfast! Come on back, I have some coffee brewed." She waves him towards the staff room, and he follows behind her eagerly.

Coffee is certainly a good start.

"We had waffles for breakfast, but there's plenty of leftovers. Let me just heat them up and you can dig right in." She gets to work reheating some of the food for Castiel as he enters the room. 

With a grateful expression, Castiel takes a seat at one of the chairs in the office. Or, rather, what he initially assumed was just an office. Upon entering the staff room, it seems it leads all the way behind reception, out of view from the front desk. There's a television, chairs, and a mini kitchen set up, which is currently a mess. 

As if reading his mind, Kendra speaks up. "Sorry about the mess, I let Katie help with the waffle mix and, well... She's very enthusiastic."

Everything about Kendra makes her seem like a genuinely kind person. Castiel has barely spoken to her and yet he feels comfortable in her presence... But not comfortable enough to sit in silence.

"So, you mentioned your brother and the church..." What is he doing? He does not want to talk about the church. Hell, he doesn't even want to think about that church. So why can't he stop himself from asking? "Does he attend frequently?"

"Well I sure hope he does."

Was that not the right question to ask? Perhaps he was in an extremely religious town. Great, now he's going to have to find other living arrangements, and it's probably extremely difficult to find another person willing to trade labor for lodging. His success rate is currently one hundred percent, but he has a feeling that was a fluke.

Apparently catching on to Castiel's confusion, or perhaps just taking a cue from the silence, she explains further. "My brother Daniel is a priest with the church in town." She flips over the waffle on the stove, glancing back towards Castiel.

"Ah, I see." _That makes more sense._ Glad that he doesn't have to find a new motel to stay at, he relaxes into his seat.

"I was surprised when he told me, honestly. Our family was never religious growing up, so when he came back declaring he'd been training as a priest... Well, I was confused to say the least." Tossing the waffle onto a clean plate, she places the heated food in front of Castiel and picks up with her story again. "He left town for a bit, when our dad passed, and he stopped callin', so I just assumed... I don't know." Her tone turns somber, but she continues. "I think it really got to him- How Dad uh... _Went_." She seems to realize she's getting personal with someone who's still a new acquaintance, and she smiles once more, as if to ease the seriousness of the conversation. "Anyway, after four years, just like that, he was back, clerical collar and all. At the end of the day, I think it helps him cope, and as long as he's happy, I'm all for it." 

Wow. Maybe not remembering is preferable, judging by this family's pain. Because if his past contains something tragic, he's grateful that he doesn't know.

A cup of coffee is poured in front of him and handed over, and Castiel thanks her with a smile. He digs into his waffle, trying to think of what to say in return. Anything he can say. Trying his best to relate to the conversation, he brings up the one thing he knows about himself. "I don't remember much, but I discovered I have a tattoo regarding angels. I assume it has something to do with my parents, but I don't remember them either. Or if they're still alive."

"Oh, you poor thing... Here I am going on and on..." She shakes her head. 

Finishing up his food, Castiel shakes his head to dismiss her concern. "I'm perfectly fine. Inconvenienced, yes, but otherwise alright." Wanting desperately to change the subject off of himself, he clears his throat and stands from his seat. "So, are you ready to work on that sign? I'll need your direction. I should've disclosed this before our agreement, but I don't know if I've ever fixed anything." He admitted sheepishly.

With a laugh, Kendra takes his dishes and places them into the sink to deal with later. "Alright, enough real talk. Read you loud and clear." She brushes off her hands on her jeans and then motions to the door. "C'mon, I'll make a man out of you yet, Castiel, don't you worry. You know what they say about my people: home improvement is our forte." She winks, leading the way out of the living space.

Castiel's brows tug together in a confused frown as he moves to join her on their way outside. "Your people? I'm not following..."

"Oh sweetie." She snorts another laugh. "I thought you'd have noticed, seeing as you're clearly-" She trails off, squinting slightly as she studies him. "Well, maybe not." Shrugging, she clarifies. "I don't bat for your team."

The confused look that remains on Castiel's face urges her to give a more direct explanation.

"I like _women_."

Oh. _Oh..._ That could be why he never feels as though she's actually flirting when she makes remarks towards him. That, or Castiel is just horrible at picking up signals. Or both.

He's been quiet for too long and she's starting to look at him funny. What is he supposed to say? He's completely indifferent to who someone is attracted to if it doesn't affect him directly, but he can't very well say that. _Just say something, anything._

"Oh." Way to think on your feet. "I mean, that's nice." He frowns, shaking his head. He's really putting his foot in his mouth here. "Not that I personally feel any differently towards you as a person now that I'm aware-" He trails off, hoping that was at least somewhat correct.

Luckily for Castiel, she seems to find him stumbling to find words humorous. "A real gentleman, I see." Kendra teases. "Let's get started on that sign, alright? I'll grab my tools, I just need you to wheel the sign out into position. It's sitting out back on a handcart." She points him in the right direction, and then heads back inside to grab her tools, but not before giving him a thumbs up.

Thankful to be alone, he lets out a sigh of relief. That was way more awkward than it needed to be, all thanks to him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Katie playing in the grass. She's tying and weaving dandelions together to create a small crown of sorts, focusing intently on what she's doing. 

He decides it's best not to bother her, and continues on his way to the rear of the building. "Handcart... What's a-" Mid-question, he finds what he's looking for. The new sign is larger than the previous one so it's easier to spot, but it'll also be sturdier and it's less likely to be broken by trouble-making youths. The new sign has pristine paint and a sealed coating over top of it, and once the signs are swapped, Castiel is sure they'll get more business at the motel. It may be a small town, but nobody wants to stay somewhere that looks run down.

He pushes the heavy sign to the front of the motel, grunting quietly as he sets the handcart down. Now he understands why Kendra couldn't do this by herself. Wheeling it is manageable, but lifting it will be more difficult.

Kendra meets him at the entrance, tools in hand, a step ladder already set up by the post. "Ready to get started, Castiel?" She asks, twirling a hammer with a joyful grin. "Demolition is the fun part." 

Watching her approach the sign, Castiel glances towards where Katie is sitting in the grass. As Kendra begins to remove the rusted nails in the old sign, the little girl seems to realize her mother is distracted, and runs, flower crown in hand, into the motel lobby. Castiel opens his mouth to say something, but the girl is already inside. She probably isn't getting into too much trouble.

"Alright!" Kendra exclaims after a minute, tossing the old wood into a pile. "That was easier than I thought. I'll climb my step ladder, and then you need to lift the sign a little bit so I can grab onto it. With your legs, not your back. Once we have it lined up, I'll hammer it in place, bolt it tight, and we're done. Easy as pie."

Castiel has a feeling it's going to be more difficult than she makes it seem, but he nods and positions the sign on the handcart as close as possible. "Tell me when."

She gives him a quick nod and he lifts, with his legs, as instructed.

God, this thing is heavy. So heavy... He hasn't lifted it high enough for Kendra to grab onto it and help yet, but dropping it seems like the only option here. That or be crushed. He closes his eyes, only for a moment, willing any strength he has to come forward.

_What the-?_

Castiel lifts it the rest of the way with ease, high enough for Kendra to hammer it in and secure the few bolts required to keep it together.

"You sure you didn't work construction before coming here? You're pretty good at holding this steady." She finishes bolting it in and taps the sign to make sure it isn't going anywhere, then gives Castiel a nod, signalling it's safe to release the sign. "We're all done. Told you, easy as pie."

Releasing the sign and taking a step back, he watches as it holds firm on the post. How in all that is holy did he do that so effortlessly? Adrenaline? Is that how that works? Maybe his body thought he'd be crushed and pumped him full of adrenaline to help him out... No, don't be ridiculous. Clearly Kendra was just helping to lift it into place. Yes. That makes the most sense.

"Job well done requires a glass of lemonade, don't you think?" Kendra asks, wiping sweat off of her brow. Before he can decline her offer, she climbs down the stepladder and motions for him to follow her inside. 

As the two triumphant workers enter the building, they hear a hiss and a scream coming from the office.

"Katie!" Kendra bolts through the staff door and into the room without a moment spared, Castiel following right behind her. When they make it into the room, Katie is sitting on the floor, teary-eyed with a flower crown in her lap. The cat, Jasper, is hiding in the corner of the room, hackles raised and tail puffed. Kendra takes a relieved breath, and crouches beside her daughter. "Were you messing with the cat again? I told you, he doesn't want to wear a crown, sweetie."

The little girl sniffles, wiping at her eyes. "But... He'd look pretty..."

There's a small scratch mark on the girl's hand, but other than that both parties seem more shaken up than anything.

Kendra stands, heading to a cabinet to retrieve something. "I know, but he doesn't like it." When she walks back, she has a small band-aid to place over the scratch. "Hold still... There, all better."

Kneeling down beside the child, Castiel studies the crown made of dandelions, and decides he's going to try to cheer her up. "If he won't wear it, I will." Gently picking up the crown, he places it onto his head and smiles at Katie. "How do I look?" It's small, so small he could probably wear it as a bracelet, but it was made for a cat, after all.

Katie giggles, shaking her head as she blinks away the tears from her eyes. "Silly." She looks down at her bandaged hand, pouting a little, and then she holds it up to Castiel expectantly.

Confused, he looks to Kendra for explanation.

"She wants you to kiss it better. She usually asks me to do it, you don't have to." 

Carefully thinking it over, Castiel places two of his fingers to his lips, giving them a gentle kiss. He brings those fingers to her bandage, pressing gently, and closing his eyes. As he opens them, he finds Katie giggling.

"All better!" Katie exclaims, hopping up onto her feet and snatching the crown from atop Castiel's dark hair. Learning nothing from her earlier situation, she lunges towards the cat who bolts out of the room.

"Good, now who wants some lemonade?" Kendra asks, to which Katie eagerly replies by jumping around in circles. At least the cat has been spared.

Her mother is already moving to the cabinet to fetch glasses, and gets out a small plate. "If you want some strawberries with yours, wash your hands."

Come to think of it, he is a little tired from lifting that sign. Maybe some lemonade would be nice. Castiel pulls himself up off of the floor and sits down in one of the chairs. "I can't thank you enough for being so kind to me, Kendra." He says sincerely, which earns a scoff from her.

"Oh, please, you've been wonderful, and I enjoy the company. You're allowed to stay as long as you like." After a pause to pour lemonade into two glasses and a plastic cup, she adds, "Besides, I'd feel like I was leaving a puppy out in a thunderstorm if I hadn't taken you in."

_Did she just call me a puppy?_

"Well thank you either way. I'm going to do whatever I can to help repay you for your kindness in the meantime." Castiel extends a hand for his glass, gaze shifting towards Katie.

The girl is eagerly washing her hands, and seems to neglect the fact that she has a bandage on her hand, which instantly falls off after she begins scrubbing. "Uh-oh..."

"What did you do?" Kendra asks in concern, but as soon as she's handed over Castiel's drink, she turns to find her daughter standing with her hand exposed. "Ah, don't worry, I'll get another one for you. Did you need a smaller one?" She reaches out, taking hold of her child's hand and flipping it over, confused. "Wait, where did he scratch you? I don't even see it anymore."

Castiel's interest is piqued, so he places his drink down, ignoring it for now. "I remember, it was right by her thumb." Kendra extends her daughter's hand for Castiel to see, and he frowns. "I was fairly certain that's where it was."

Shrugging, Katie pulls her arm back from her mother's grasp and takes her plate of strawberries to her seat. "Doesn't hurt. I'm okay now."

Things are getting weirder and weirder today... Maybe he just needs to watch some television and relax on his bed. It's probably the heat making everything so confusing today. Yeah, that must be it.

Thirst quenched, Castiel stands from his seat at the small table and waves goodbye to them both. "I think it's time I head back to my room, but thank you for the meal, and the drink. And the sign building experience. I enjoyed myself today."

Kendra nods, offering a cheery smile. "Alright. Feel free to come visit us at the desk any time, there's a few more things I need to fix. And I'm sure Katie would love to make you your own crown some time." That earns a shy look from the little girl, who hides her face in her hair.

Castiel smiles softly as he nods. "I'd like that." After making sure he cleans up after himself, he makes his way out of the staff room, where he runs into Jasper sitting on the reception desk. "Hello." He murmurs, reaching down to stroke the cat softly along his back and up his tail.

" _M'row._ " Jasper mews enthusiastically, leaning into the touch. He seems much calmer than before, now that no children are chasing him to play dress-up. After another moment of tolerating Castiel's petting, the cat leaps off of the counter, lazily heading back inside the staff room.

Saying his goodbyes to the cat, Castiel finally heads out of the lobby and into the parking lot.

Castiel takes a minute to admire the new sign out front. It appears it'll hold rather well. Not too bad for his first time building something. Grabbing for his key in his pants pocket, he passes a few doors until he reaches 108, and then lets out a sigh. "What a weird day." He mumbles to himself, unlocking the door to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should note that those of you reading for the Winchesters (or Dean and and Cas specifically) are gonna have to be patient... This story is mainly from Castiel's POV, and it's gonna take him a while to run into our favorite hunters. Slow-burns, baby. Gotta love 'em.


	3. Can't Take My Eyes off You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** Warning for this chapter! This chapter contains brief animal harm to a dog, but no animals are killed, and our furry friend will be absolutely fine ( thanks to a little help from our main character ). **

The next morning is beautiful, and now that the clock is creeping past noon, the weather is perfect for a day of lounging outside. Castiel had waffles with Kendra earlier in the morning, and they spent the time discussing their plans for future renovations. He's feeling better than ever now that none of the weird events from the day before are haunting his mind. It was a fluke day, and today will be much more normal. He's sure of it. 

Sitting on the lawn of The Reed Motel, Castiel and his new friend Katie are using his trenchcoat as a makeshift blanket. It was the little girl's idea, to prevent her dress from staining while they make jewelry out of grass and flowers. Castiel doesn't mind in the slightest. The coat is still covered in dirt from the river bank, but Kendra promised him that he can do some laundry later today.

"Like this?" Castiel questions, tying the ends of two flower stems together. He holds them up for review, a hopeful look on his face. 

"Yeah, kinda like that, but more like mine." She holds up her flowery masterpiece proudly.

He smiles to himself, replying to her with a nod. "Of course, I'll try to do it more like that."

"You gotta be careful, Cassiel, or else you'll break the petals off," Katie explains to him, looking up to examine his work. She doesn't quite understand how to pronounce Castiel, but he isn't complaining. It's adorable.

Since quickly becoming friends the day before, Katie has taken it upon herself to teach Castiel how to make his own flower jewelry. She's the perfect teacher for him, because Castiel doesn't mind side tangents about how fairies feel about plants and why bees are _"probably just tiny bears wearing sweaters."_ Granted, the kid has some decent points. Her mother, Kendra, seems thankful for the free babysitting, and Castiel doesn't mind having someone to talk to, even if children aren't the best at holding conversation topics.

"My apologies, I'm not used to working with something so delicate." Folding over another flower and adding it to the chain, he smiles. This is nice. Relaxing and having some normalcy in his time of complete uncertainty feels good. He has a feeling he didn't get a lot of this in his past.

She's back to weaving some grass blades together in her lap, not paying attention to Castiel's flowers in the least. "It's still gonna look good if you accidentally break 'em."

Katie's pretty kind for her age. She probably gets that from her mother.

In fact, if she had stickers with her, Castiel would likely be receiving a gold star. He's seen them stuck to the inside walls of the motel in odd places that her mother wouldn't think to look. They make him chuckle, so he hasn't bothered to tell Kendra. It's pretty funny to find a star that says _'Great Job!!!'_ on the door to your motel room.

As they continue making little trinkets out of plant life, Kendra opens the motel door and calls out to them. "Hey, how are my personal gardeners doing?" She smiles softly, walking outside to stand near their seated places in the grass. "It's about lunch time. What do you say we call it an afternoon and go in and eat some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?" Her attention switches to Castiel before he can answer. "After you eat, I have a project I need some parts for, and I was wondering if you would be willing to pick them up for me. I'll give you some cash, I just need an errand boy."

Castiel shakes his head, standing and brushing himself off. "I'd be happy to go now. My legs need stretching after sitting for so long. You two go ahead and eat without me." He looks down at Katie, offering her his finished flower bracelet.

Katie hops up and snatches it from Castiel. She runs to her mother, tugging on her arm. "C'mon Mom! Sandwiches!" 

Her mother looks down at her and rolls her eyes fondly. "Let me give your new best friend some money first, alright?"

Her words earn an overly dramatic sigh from the child who runs into the motel without another word.

Kendra pulls her wallet out of her pocket, and produces a few bills for Castiel. "Here. This should cover it. I need 1 inch drywall screws, a few small wire nuts, and some more electrical tape. I'm running low."

Blinking at her, Castiel nods slowly. He is so utterly and completely lost. There's no way he was any sort of construction worker in his past, because every other word goes right over his head. "Right. You need 1 inch drywall... Nuts?" 

She laughs, shaking her head. "Yeah, that's about what I expected you to remember. That's why..." Pausing, she pulls out a folded shopping list from her back pocket. "I wrote this up for you. Just show it to whoever is working in the store today and they'll help you."

_Thank God._ He takes the list from her, reading it once to make sure he doesn't have any questions. "Give me an hour and a half and I should be back with everything on the list."

The store isn't more than two miles from The Reed Motel, but Castiel has to walk, so that adds about twenty five to thirty minutes there and back. Better to overestimate how long it'll take than to take longer than expected.

Looking confused, Kendra shook her head. "What? No, no, I included enough cash to get you a bus ticket. It shouldn't take longer than forty five in total. But take your time if you need to. I always end up getting distracted when I shop for tools, and I actually know what I'm doing." With that, she bends down to pick up his trenchcoat, which she shakes clean. "Let me wash this for you. It'll be done by the time you get back." Without giving a chance for him to decline, she heads back inside the motel to feed her impatient child.

_A bus ticket?_

He doesn't even know how to buy a bus ticket. First step would probably be... Find the bus stop? Seems like an appropriate guess. To the bus stop it is.

XXX

There's wall upon wall of screws and bolts, and Castiel feels like he's drowning in it all. He's staring at the worker like the employee is a new form of life, all while the man in the orange vest insists on Castiel needing different types of tubing and safety equipment. For the third time, he asks Castiel what model of fan they're installing while pointing out things that he may also need. It's clear the worker assumes Castiel can understand him, simply because he's a man. That's where he's wrong.

Someone come save him from this home improvement hell.

"I just need what's on the list, that's all." Castiel doesn't know enough about home improvement to make any extra purchases or leave anything to chance, so sticking to the list is the safest bet.

"If you're sure, man." The worker scoops up a handful of nuts, adding them to the small handheld basket that he's carrying. He hands the basket over to Castiel and nods. "That's everything from your list."

With a sigh of relief, Castiel thanks him and heads up to the front counter. He feels like he's been trapped here for centuries, stuck in a cycle of perusing shiny doorknobs and oddly-shaped ceiling fans. Kendra certainly wasn't lying when she said she got distracted here. It took him at least fifteen minutes to snap out of the store's trance and actually find someone to help him get what he needed.

"Is that everything for ya?" A friendly teen working the counter asks as he approaches.

"Yes, this is everything. I don't need anything else." Castiel quickly replies, setting his basket down. _Please let me leave._

She rings up all of his items and tells him the total, and as he hands over the cash she exchanges it for smaller change with ease. "You're all set. Have a nice afternoon!"

How long has he been in here for? Kendra probably thinks he's dead, or worse.

"Thank you," he mutters quietly. He puts the change back into his pocket and finally makes his way out of the store. God, is he glad to get out of there. With supplies in hand, he can finally return to the motel to help Kendra finish her repair. He doesn't know exactly what she's fixing, but he remembers her mentioning a bathroom fan during breakfast, so that would have to be his guess. Now all that he has to do is take the bus back, using the return ticket he bought for himself. He fishes around in his pockets, and his stomach drops.

_The ticket isn't there._

It has to be, he didn't go anywhere between the bus and the store, and he hasn't even reached into his pocket since putting it in there. Except he did reach into his pocket momentarily to pull out the list when he was inside the store. The ticket must've fallen out as he was wandering the aisles. Great. There's no telling which part of the store he was in when it happened, so he'd be stuck wandering the aisles again.

Looking over his shoulder towards the store, he shakes his head. There's no way he's going back in there, not even for his ticket. Looks like he'll be walking. 

_That's fine, I need the exercise anyway,_ Castiel thinks as he walks down the street. At least the weather is nice. He takes time to observe the flowers along his path, smiling slightly as he remembers how enthusiastic Katie can be when she's talking about them. Perhaps one of these days he can pick a few and bring them back to the motel for her. He's sure she'd love that. Now he's going to have to make a habit out of going for walks on this route.

It's beautiful during the afternoon, the green trees shading the sidewalk. There's children shopping with their parents inside, asking them to buy every toy in sight. There's even a large German Shepherd mix, curiously chasing a squirrel around one of the patches of grass as his owner lounges in the shade of a nearby tree. Castiel stops walking for a moment to watch the dog pounce around, happily wagging its long, fluffy tail back and forth. The kind of wag that gets the entire rear of the dog wiggling.

Personally, Castiel is partial to cats, but he has to admit, dogs have their moments.

The dog and squirrel stop running in circles, and the squirrel leads the chase across the lawn, down the sidewalk, and eventually the squirrel darts across the road in an attempt to lose the dog.

The dog is having none of it, and follows right behind, never losing sight of his playmate. As they bolt across the street, the dog's mouth opens, ever so close to catching the squirrel by the tail. Closer, surely about to catch it, he lunges, but the squirrel slips out of his reach. Tires screech as a brake is hit a moment too late, and the screeching is followed by the horrible sound of a collision and a loud cry from the dog. 

Castiel's jaw drops, and he stands rigid in shock. _No..._ Everything happened so fast; there was no time for him to react. He saw the car coming down the street and he didn't call out, he couldn't _do anything_. Instinctively, he begins running straight for the dog, who is lying motionless in the street. The car responsible speeds off as fast as it can before anyone can catch the licence plate.

_No, no, no..._ As he nears the dog's side, it's clear that it's still breathing, but it's shallow, accompanied by small whimpers.

"I'm so sorry." Castiel says softly, crouching down by the dog. He lays a hand on the canine's side in an attempt to comfort the animal. 

_This isn't fair. He_ _doesn't deserve to suffer for being curious. He did nothing but follow his nature._

Castiel frowns sadly as he gently pets the dog's fur. Judging from the slow heartbeat, it only has minutes.

A devastated cry comes from nearby, as the dog's owner stands from his place in the grass and notices what happened. He drops what he was holding and runs over to join Castiel, eyes wide. "No- Oh no he's... Is he going to be... Is he going to...?" The man's hands are shaking, and he's glancing between his dog and the direction the car drove off in. "I can't believe this is happening... I need to- I need to call a vet. Maybe they can save-" The man sounds heartbroken, eyes welling with tears as he pulls his eyes away from his canine friend to fumble for a cell phone.

"A vet won't reach him in time, I'm sorry. He has only minutes." Castiel closes his eyes, letting out a slow breath. _It's going to be okay. You're okay,_ Castiel thinks to the dog, hoping to calm him with his thoughts. He wishes he could do more.

Suddenly, Castiel's head feels light, and his senses dull. For a moment he swears he can feel the dog's pulse increase. But the next thing Castiel feels is his head rolling to the side as his hand slips off of the dog's back, and then the world goes black.

XXX

Something touching Castiel's face wakes him: wet strokes pulling across his cheek. He instinctively raises a hand to defend himself from the unseen monster, and it begins attacking his hand as well. "Stop- Please..." He protests, unable to open his eyes in fear of what he may find. He can feel that he's laying on slightly damp grass, blades poking at the back of his neck.

"Easy Scoot, that's enough. Leave the poor man alone." With those words, the attack stops.

_That voice sounds familiar ... But more cheerful than he remembers._

He hears a soft, repeated thud against the earth, and as he gradually opens his eyes, Castiel is shocked speechless.

_How...? It can't be..._

Before him sits a German Shepherd Dog mix, the very same one that was hit by the car. It has to be, because there's still the faint coloration of blood on his fur. The dog that had _minutes_ to live, is sitting right next to Castiel, tail pounding away happily against the grass. Very much alive.

Castiel sits up slowly, but he still feels dizzy. Is he dead? Did another car come and strike him as he was in the street? "What's going on? I don't- I must've hit my head."

The dog's owner chuckles softly, kneeling down to steady Castiel with a hand on his shoulder. "Easy there. You fainted after uh- Well it appears you fainted after healing my dog." The man gives him a soft smile, squeezing his shoulder gently in appreciation. "It looks like it took quite a bit out of you. I moved you to the grass and out of the road, I hope you don't mind."

Castiel looks up to meet the man's eyes, and his heart pounds quicker in his chest.

_That's it, you're dead. You're dead and this is heaven._

"Healed your dog? I'm sorry, I don't know how that's possible. I didn't do anything." Castiel tilts his head, and begins to rise to his feet.

The man helps pull Castiel to his feet, but keeps close by in case he faints again. "Clearly you did something. What I just witnessed... It was a miracle. A gift from God." The man pulls Castiel into a short hug, patting him on the back before he releases him. "You have something special." He clears his throat. "Who are you? What's your name? I've never seen you around town."

Castiel steadies himself, looking down to make sure he isn't injured. As he places a hand over his chest, he can feel a heartbeat. Perhaps he isn't dead after all. "My name is Castiel. And I'm... Nobody. I mean, I don't know who I am." He sighs softly, settling on another answer. "I'm new in town." 

The other man widens his eyes, stunned. "You're joking! You're Castiel? The same Castiel staying at The Reed Motel?" He pauses, letting out a short laugh. "Of course you are, there aren't many people named Castiel out and about, I suppose. My sister Kendra has told me all about you." He extends a hand for Castiel to shake, expression grateful. "I'm her older brother, Daniel. Most people around these parts call me Father Reed."

So this is Daniel... The priest. He's... Different than Castiel expected. Happier than Kendra described him, for starters, but that could just be the fact that Castiel just saved his dog's life. Daniel's face has a bit of scruff defining his strong jawline and his lips, and he has a kindness in his eyes that must run in the Reed family.

"I've heard about you from your sister. Mostly about how you're always busy at the church." Castiel's gaze shifts towards Scoot, who has begun chasing his tail in circles, unfazed by the entirety of events that took place. At least someone was feeling normal about this whole thing.

Daniel laughs awkwardly, scratching the back of his dirty blonde hair. "Yeah, sounds about right." He shifts his weight to his other foot, following Castiel's gaze to his dog. "You know, the church could use someone like you. Performing minor miracles. I saw you place your hand on Scoot, and suddenly he was better. Maybe you could do the same for people?"

Castiel's head whips up so that he can stare at the priest. "You must be joking. I can't heal people. I'm just a normal-" He trails off. His memory, lifting the sign, Katie's cat scratch disappearing, and now this. Maybe he wasn't so normal. "Let's say I can heal people," Castiel begins hesitantly, "You saw what it did to me. I was unconscious after a matter of moments. I don't want to keep doing that."

"Yeah, I saw." Daniel admits with a frown, brown eyes averting their gaze from Castiel momentarily. "But you were practically reviving him, so it could’ve used up most of your energy. Maybe minor healing wouldn't affect you as much." His voice sounds desperate, and as his gaze returns to Castiel there's a silent plea in his eyes. "You could do so much good with a gift like that."

He does have a point. When Castiel accidentally healed Katie, the only side effect was slight drowsiness. Healing people could be his purpose on this earth. On top of that, the puppy dog eyes Castiel is receiving are making it even harder to say no. And they aren't even from Scoot this time.

"Alright. But I have conditions. Nothing major, and nothing too frequent. I don't think I could heal another person today. Or maybe even for a few days." Castiel places his hand on his forehead, trying to fight off a wave of dizziness. 

Daniel looks ecstatic, and he sets his hand on Castiel's shoulder once more to help him stand. "Yes, of course, I don't want to push you. We could have you join us once a week, just after Sunday Mass. Minor healing sessions only."

The priest looks like he wants to kiss him out of pure joy. Castiel thinks he might pass out again if he does.

"Of course, I'll need to run it by Father Clarke," Daniel continues. "He's been at the church much longer than me, I only joined recently, so he'll be making the official decision." He thinks it over for a moment. "You should be there to demonstrate your gift for him when I pitch the idea. There's no way he'll say no when he sees what you can do." Daniel grins, looking over Castiel from head to toe.

Swaying slightly, Castiel nods, agreeing to everything Daniel says. It's a fair deal. Castiel gets to feel like he's doing some good, that he's here for a reason, and people get their minor problems fixed for free. Win-win. "Sounds like a plan... But right now I need to get back to the motel before Kendra-..." Suddenly his eyes widen, and he looks around frantically. "The parts. I was supposed to bring her a bag of parts for a repair." He sighs in defeat. 

Raising his hand in a calming motion, Daniel points towards the nearby tree with his thumb. "You mean the hardware store bag you were carrying? It's sitting right over there. I wanted to make sure I didn't misplace it while you were unconscious."

_Thank God._ Wait, is that appropriate in front of a priest? _Thank Father Reed,_ he corrects.

_Much better_.

"Thank you." Castiel leaves Daniel's side to go retrieve the bag, shaky on his feet as he walks. Scoot prances over with him happily, tail wagging the entire time. He's glad he helped such a joyful dog, no matter the cost to his own energy. If he were to ever get a dog himself, he'd want one similar to Scoot. "I'm very glad I could be of help to you, Daniel- Er, Father Reed, but I really need to get walking, the motel is still twenty minutes at the least from here."

Daniel holds up a hand to stop him mid-sentence. "No way I'm letting you walk. It's the least I can do for you, Castiel. On Scoot's behalf. Let me drive you." When Castiel doesn't immediately respond, Daniel adds, "Listen, my sister owns the motel, remember? It gives me a reason to visit Kendra and my niece. It's no bother at all."

Can't argue with that.

"Alright. Lead the way." Castiel instructs with a nod and returns to Daniel's side. It'll be nice to get to ride in a car, and at the most the drive will take five minutes. That cuts at least fifteen minutes off of the time it would've taken to walk.

Seeming rather pleased with himself, Daniel extends an arm for Castiel to grab onto. Again, Castiel hesitates, so Daniel adds, "Don't want you falling on the way there."

Given the likelihood of that due to his drained energy, Castiel grabs onto the offered arm and allows himself to be led towards Daniel's car. Scoot follows happily behind the pair, a found stick in his mouth. "For the record," Castiel begins, putting some of his weight onto the man's arm, "I'm not trusting you because you're a priest. I'm trusting you because Kendra has been very good to me. And she seems to think highly of you." He eyes the priest's face, suspicion in his gaze.

Daniel laughs, glancing at Castiel. "Fair enough. I'm just glad you feel you can trust me. It's a part of my job description."

As Daniel helps Scoot into the back seat of his car, and Castiel into the passenger seat, Castiel looks out the passenger window, back towards the street where the accident happened. Truthfully, there was more to Castiel trusting Daniel than solely basing it on the word of Kendra, but Castiel wasn't ready to spend the time figuring it out. He doesn't have time to think about why he trusts a stranger right now. He has a lot to process from today that takes priority. His newfound powers are on the top of that list.

Who is he, and why can he perform these miracles? It's possible that he was a faith healer before he lost his memories. That would definitely explain a few things, but it still leaves others up to question. Especially the angel warding tattoo. A religious man wouldn't get something like that unless it was for good reason... Could someone at the church be the one who wiped his memories? The bad feeling he gets whenever he sees the building could be explained that way.

No matter what he assumes now, he's still got plenty to think about on the ride back to the motel with Daniel.

The closing of the driver's car door snaps Castiel out of his thoughts. Once they're all situated in the vehicle, Daniel turns the key in the ignition, and a faint click is heard as Daniel buckles his seat belt across his chest, securing himself. Softly, the radio begins playing a familiar tune.   
  


_You're just too good to be true_

  
_Can't take my eyes off of you_

After a quiet moment of only listening to the radio playing, accompanied by the rumbling of the engine in the background, Castiel realizes they aren't moving. He turns to ask Daniel what they're waiting for, but Daniel's eyes are staring right back into his. So this must be the part where the priest murders him in his car. Self-consciously shifting under the gaze, Castiel clears his throat. "Is there something I can do for you?"

The radio is the only one with an immediate response, as if it knows better than the both of them.

_You'd be like heaven to touch_

  
_I wanna hold you so much_

Daniel gives a pointed look towards Castiel's lap, causing Castiel's eyes to widen. He follows the look downwards to his lap, and then returns his eyes to Daniel.

He can't be serious. 

_"_ Ahem, the, uh- Seat belt." Daniel clarifies, motioning across Castiel and towards the seat belt retractor awkwardly.

_Oh right._ "My apologies, I don't remember the last time I rode in a car." Castiel quickly buckles his seat belt, hoping to spare himself any further embarrassment.

Scoot probably feels pretty lucky in the backseat as he sticks his head out of the window, unconcerned with things like seat belts.

Daniel waves it off with a smile and he shifts the car into gear. "Don't worry about it. I'm just a safety first kind of guy." He reaches up and turns the knob of the radio, letting the music swell into the vehicle, humming along quietly as he begins the drive.

_But if you feel like I feel_

  
_Please let me know that it's real_

Castiel shifts in his seat once more, feeling slightly claustrophobic. Maybe it's because he hasn't been in a car in so long. He clears his throat, and quickly switches the radio channel to something else. Some modern pop song that he doesn't know the words to floods the car.

A quiet sound of displeasure escapes Daniel's lips, but he doesn't protest to Castiel messing with his radio. Instead he smiles a little, raising an eyebrow. "Classics not your thing, huh?"

Castiel shrugs, glancing out the window. "It's a good song, I suppose. I'm just not in the mood for it." That's the story he's telling himself as well.

The car ride is only supposed to last another couple of minutes, but even so, he's not sure he could handle listening to the chorus of that song right now. He needs to be able to think straight so that he can figure out what he's going to do with his newfound powers. For instance, how to activate them. Luckily for Castiel, he has a week before he'll need to do it again. And he'll be counting the seconds until then.


	4. Take Me to Church

The church is lively on Sunday morning, and many of the town's residents can be found inside. Sunday Mass is nearly over, which means it's almost time for Castiel to prove himself worthy to work with the church. Typically, they wouldn't let just anyone work with them, even if they claimed to be able to heal. But the prior week, after witnessing Castiel heal his dog first hand, Father Reed invited Castiel to attend and test his abilities on a human. Unfortunately, Castiel is told that another priest, Father Clarke, may be harder to win over.

Castiel doesn't fully understand his abilities yet himself, despite witnessing himself perform them, so he's not sure how he's going to convince someone that may be skeptical that he has them. Especially if he can't figure out how to use his gifts on command. After healing Daniel's dog, Scoot, he spent the next week worrying if he'd be able to replicate the accidental miracle on command. Even if he's able to use his ability, and the church accepts his help, he's decided against healing any major injuries for the foreseeable future. Using any sort of ability seems to drain him, but the amount it drains him directly relates to the severity of the task. So if he's saving a life, he may black out, or worse. And he isn't willing to take that chance yet.

Castiel stands outside of the church, frozen with uncertainty. His eyes stare at the angel on the stained glass window, the very same that he'd seen on his first day into town. He swallows past a lump in his throat. He could turn back now, and he would never have to enter the church. He'd never have to prove himself as more than ordinary. The thought is a constant in his mind, and one he seriously considers. But if he leaves, he'll be disappointing his new friend Daniel, and he's sure that he will never be able to face the man again if he goes back on his promise to help people. So despite his better judgement, Castiel grabs the doorknob, giving the church door a sharp tug open.

The old wooden door swings open with a low creak, and several of the people attending church glance over their shoulders to see who would dare show up so late. As Castiel enters the church and allows his eyes to adjust to the change in lighting, the concerned residents gradually turn back around and continue their business. An older priest stands up at the altar, reaching the conclusion of his sermon. Standing a few feet behind him to observe, there stands a younger priest, hands folded in front of him. Once Castiel can sufficiently see, he recognizes him immediately as Daniel. Or rather, in this setting, he supposes he should call him Father Reed. 

The man on the altar doesn't allow himself to get distracted by the noise of the church doors, and instead continues speaking to everyone in the building. However, Father Reed spares a passing glance towards the doors, and when he does he notices Castiel instantly. He offers him a quick nod and a subtle smile before returning his gaze to the man finishing up his sermon.

At least Castiel has Daniel on his side. Within a few minutes, the other priest finishes speaking, and everyone rises from their seats and heads towards the aisles. People start to head towards the doors, and instead of getting caught in the crowd flowing outwards, Castiel slips to the left side of the building. He weaves through those leaving and heads up towards the altar. Does he really want to go through with this? He looks back towards the door, where he wishes he was headed right now, but continues to venture further into the belly of the beast. 

"Castiel!" 

The sudden call of his name surprises him, and Castiel jumps. That's it, end of the line. Whatever kept him from entering the church has found him, and he's doomed. He turns to see who was calling, and lets out a sigh of relief when he's met with a familiar face. "Hello Father Reed. It's good to see you," he says softly, letting out a breath to calm himself. _Get ahold of yourself, Castiel._

"Ah, Father now, is it? I guess that's appropriate, considering the setting." Daniel smiles as he looks over Castiel, but it quickly fades into a frown. "What's the matter? You seem on edge." He places a hand on Castiel's shoulder, mirroring the way he steadied Castiel the prior time they met on the street. 

For some reason, this comforts Castiel. The action seems familiar, but not just from Daniel, from before he lost his memories. He just can't quite remember why, or who it was that did it before. But they must've been a calming presence in his life, whoever they were. "I'm just nervous about the healing. I'm prepared to try, but I'm not sure if I'll do well under pressure," Castiel admits.

Apparently understanding his worries, Daniel nods. "You'll do just fine, I believe in you." The hand that is resting on Castiel's shoulder drops, and he smiles once more.

Another sigh is released from Castiel's lips to let out the rest of his tension. The words are comforting to him, and his shoulders lower from their tensed position where he's holding them. As long as someone believes in him, he can manage to have the same faith in himself. Castiel turns away from his friend, searching the now fairly empty church for the other priest he'd seen. "Was that Father Clarke speaking at the altar? He seems... Intimidating." Nothing like Daniel. 

"Yes, that was him." Daniel pauses, staying quiet for a moment. Oh no, Castiel knows that face. That's the face of bad news. "I know I said before that I wanted you here when I brought up your gifts, but I may have told him you were coming. And why." Daniel gives Castiel a sheepish look. "He's not the kind of man that enjoys surprises. So he's currently finding someone for you to work your gifts on. He said it had to be someone he chose so that he can be confident you aren't lying."

_It sounds like Father Clarke would be fun at parties._

Castiel can't be too mad at Daniel for preparing Father Clarke ahead of time, especially if it gave him a little more time to open up to the idea of Castiel helping out. "That's fine, you would know better than I would what's best." Castiel continues to look for Father Clarke among the pews until his eyes finally land on him. There's also a young woman standing beside him, and the two of them are having a conversation. She appears healthy, but her hand is bandaged and held to her chest. That could be the person he's meant to heal. "There they are. Over there." Castiel points at them. "Do you know her?"

Daniel looks at the pair, but upon further inspection of the woman, he shakes his head. "No. Well, yes, I suppose. She's a regular here, but I've never personally spoken to her. She prefers Father Clarke." Daniel looks slightly dejected, but he shrugs it off. "Most people here do, as I've only been with the church a few months, and I'm mainly observing the other priests as of now. I didn't actually expect to be here long, so I don't take it too personally."

Father Clarke and the unknown woman seem to notice Castiel and Daniel talking about them, or at least that they're looking in their general direction, so the two of them approach. "Hello," Father Clarke begins, eyeing Castiel. "You must be the man Father Reed has told me so much about. The man with the canine healing abilities." The skepticism in his tone is all too clear.

For a priest, you think he'd be more willing to believe in miracles. Glancing to Daniel for reassurance, Castiel extends a hand to shake. "I can heal bodies of the human variety as well. My gifts don't discriminate between man and beast." His handshake is ignored, so he slowly lowers the hand back to his side once more. Tough crowd.

The older priest doesn't seem as amused as Daniel appears to be. The latter places a finger to his thin lips to prevent himself from smiling at Castiel as Father Clarke begins to speak.

"Ah, well then. This young woman's finger was broken in a door earlier this week, and it hasn't healed properly yet." He continues to size up Castiel. "If your gifts truly are as generous as you claim, surely you'll be able to fix it?"

While he's speaking with that tone, he may as well just call Castiel a fraud outright.

Castiel nods, taking a step closer to the woman. He extends his right hand, prompting the woman to lay her hand across his. She moves to unwrap her hand, but Castiel stops her. "I don't believe I'll need to unwrap it. I've done this through a bandage before." Earning a scoff from Father Clarke, he carefully lays his left hand over hers, sandwiching her fingers gently between both of his hands. 

Father Clarke interrupts, leaning forwards to look. "Is it done yet? I didn't see anything happening," he scoffs, "I told you Father, he's a fraud."

_And there it is._

Daniel clenches his jaw, but offers a thin smile. "He hasn't done it yet. As I told _you_ I witnessed him heal with my own eyes. Trust me, Father, he has a gift from God."

Glancing between the two men, Castiel does his best not to roll his eyes. In the words of a television program Castiel accidentally stumbled across in the motel, _'Girls, girls, you're both pretty.'_ He appreciates being defended, but he can fight his own battles. Although, maybe he shouldn't fight with a priest. That's probably one of those things you're not supposed to do. On second thought, Daniel can do the fighting for him. "I haven't done it yet." Castiel closes his eyes, letting out a slow breath as he focuses his energy. 

_You can do this. All you need to do is focus._

Nothing happens. Another moment passes, and nothing. Castiel focuses, but he can't feel the familiar surge of energy moving from his body into hers. That's how it felt before. Castiel healed Katie _and_ Scoot on accident, so how come he can't heal a stranger when he's trying? A minute passes, and Daniel places his hand on Castiel's shoulder.

"Look, Castiel, if you can't do it this time, that's alright. You tried."

The defeat in his voice hits Castiel in his chest. No. He has to do this. He'll be letting his new friend down if he can't. He also can't bear to open his eyes and see everyone watching him fail. This has to be what Castiel was put here for, to heal people, so he's not giving up until he proves he can do it. If he's not able to heal a broken finger, what good is he for? Squeezing his eyes shut tighter, he focuses.

_Do it for the one who has faith._

A smug look on his face, Father Clarke speaks up. "Yes, perhaps we should call it a day-" he starts, but the action of Castiel dropping the woman's hand cuts him off.

"I believe she's healed," Castiel murmurs, taking a half step backwards. More of a stumble, really. He felt his energy drop, so he's sure he's done what was needed. The woman looks down at her hand in awe as Castiel speaks. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to sit down." 

Upon being prompted, Daniel ushers Castiel to a nearby bench, making sure he can sit to rest a moment. He sits beside him and watches the woman as she unwraps her hand. Father Clarke stands beside her, the pair immensely interested in seeing the results. He can't hear what they're saying, but Daniel is still watching closely. "You think you did it?" Daniel asks curiously. "When you opened your eyes, they were... It was like they were glowing."

Glowing eyes? That's a new one. But at this point, Castiel isn't surprised by much. He's likely barely seen the tip of the iceberg that is his powers. Castiel nods, letting out a slow breath. "Yes, I'm fairly certain. Unless standing there with magical glowing eyes was what drained my energy." He offers Daniel a joking smile, and then follows his eyes to Father Clarke.

He looks rather displeased for someone who just witnessed what he did.

The woman smiles at Castiel and waves with her unwrapped hand, and then she heads out the door. A bit of an underwhelming thanks, considering Castiel just performed a miracle on her finger.

"How did you do that?" Clarke demands, storming over to confront Castiel where he's seated. "You're not a man of God. You shouldn't have the power to do something like that."

"Believe me, I'm just as confused as you are, Father. The last two times I did this were by accident." _Before, it was like it was instinct,_ Castiel thinks, but he's not sure he should say that. He meets the man's skeptical eye, shrugging. "I don't want anything in return, I just want to help people. If you don't want me in your church, I will leave. But if you allow me to stay, I could heal those with minor afflictions once a week." If Father Clarke were to kick him out now, he'd appear as though he doesn't care about those attending the church. 

Father Clarke seems to realize this as well, because he looks to Daniel, and then sighs in frustration. "Fine. Once a week, you may do a healing. We'll work out a means of thanking you," he mutters, defeated. "But we'll have to make it appear as though you're qualified. A stranger healing in the church, and not even a man of God? That would be ridiculous."

He has to be joking. "Are you suggesting I dress as a priest? Isn't that a sin?" Castiel squints, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Scoffing, Father Clarke shakes his head. "Technically speaking, it is not. Frowned upon, yes." He taps his chin, contemplative. "Someone normally would be excommunicated for impersonating a member of the clergy, but seeing as you're not actually a member of the church, that doesn't apply." He looks conflicted, but as though his mind is made up. "You won't be speaking to anyone outside of the time you heal them, so your attire won't affect anyone beyond maintaining appearances. It's not as though you'll be participating in any church activities."

As shady as all of this seems, Castiel nods. "I suppose that makes sense." He glances down at himself, studying his white shirt and slacks. He doesn't look much like a priest. "These are my only clothes. I'll need to borrow some." 

Father Clarke huffs and begins to walk away from the conversation, leaving the rest of the decision making to Daniel and Castiel. "Do as you must, it doesn't concern me as long as it's done. But I'll be watching you both. I still believe you have something you're not telling us."

_What a pleasant man._

"I have extra clothing you could borrow," Daniel speaks up, examining Castiel's torso. "We seem to be roughly the same size." After a moment, he nods. "Yes, I think I have something that'll fit at my house." Daniel stands up from where the pair of them are sitting on a bench. "You could stop by later tonight, and I can give you a few articles of my clothing, that way you could try things on without us running back and forth."

The Reed family is too kind to him. Even if he does get his memories back, at this point he's going to be indebted to them forever. That may not be such a terrible thing. They're pleasant people to be around. "Thank you. You and your sister are too kind to me." Castiel bites his lip, thinking it over. "Is there a particular time you'd like me to be over? I have no plans for the rest of- Well, I have no future plans." 

Daniel laughs softly, pulling out a notepad and pen from his back pocket. "It's the least I can do after you saved Scoot... How about six-thirty? I have a few errands to run, but after that I'm all yours." He scribbles an address down on the paper and hands it over to Castiel, looking rather pleased. "It's not a huge place, but I'm sure you'll find it. Just knock once you get there and I should be right out."

Castiel nods, looking at the piece of paper. "I'll be there at six-thirty." He looks up from the paper and studies Daniel's clothes. They seem like they'd fit Castiel fairly well. If the size is off, it'll be minor. They have the same build, and they're roughly the same height. 

As Castiel is busy studying his clothes, Daniel speaks up again. "I'm looking forward to it." Daniel grins, shooting Castiel a wink. "I also make a mean burger. You're gonna love it." The priest looks over his shoulder, spotting a rather cranky looking elder priest in the back of the church. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to discuss your compensation for your time with Father Clarke." Daniel waves to him and retreats back into the church.

Wait a second, is Daniel going to cook for him? This is starting to seem less like an easy way to give Castiel some clothing and more like a... No, he's a priest, so it can't be. He's just overly hospitable, like his sister is. Castiel doesn't know anything about dinner invitations, so it's easy to assume he's misreading Daniel's intentions. That has to be it.

Castiel stands from his seat and looks down at his legs, swaying carefully back and forth to test if they're steady enough to walk. They're good enough for the few blocks that he'll need to walk until he can make it back to the motel. Now that there's nothing keeping him here, he wants to get out of the church as quickly as possible. Turning towards the large wooden doors where he entered the church, Castiel heads outside. He's going to have to kill a few hours before he can see Daniel again tonight. The first thing on his agenda once he's back is to take a long, cold shower. 

As Castiel begins his walk down the street, he watches the town's people passing by. Mostly women and their children. Some walking their dogs in the breezy afternoon air. As his eyes sweep the busy street, they land on a man who stands out among the crowd. He's not heading in any particular direction like everyone else is. Castiel freezes, and his stomach does a flip. The man's face is dark, horrifying to look at, but nobody else seems to notice. Castiel blinks several times to make sure he's not hallucinating while he watches him.

No. The man standing in the street is very real.

A woman bumps into the stranger and apologizes. The man raises an eyebrow, but continues on as if everything about him is normal. Why can no one else see him for what he is? _He's a monster_. His face is twisted, inhuman, and covered in shadow. Castiel may not know much, but he knows, deep in his mind, that this is the look of evil. Luckily for Castiel, the stranger doesn't spot him as he walks along, surveying the town. The monster looks from face to face, searching for something. After each glance it continues on, never satisfied with what it sees.

Out of nowhere, Castiel takes off in a sprint, adrenaline rushing to his weary legs to get him as far away as possible. As far away as he can get from that horrible thing. The monster disguised as a man gets further and further away, and to Castiel's knowledge, it doesn't appear to notice Castiel as he runs. Blood pounding in his head, he slows down as he gets closer to the motel. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't followed, he has a sinking feeling in his stomach. He realizes what the monster was doing.

It was looking for someone. Someone like Castiel.

XXX

Castiel shifts in place where he stands outside of Daniel's home. He's still shaken up from earlier in the day, but after a cold shower and something to eat, he convinced himself that the monster in the street must've been a very vivid hallucination. He was just a normal man, and the darkness of his aura was purely a side effect of Castiel using his powers. Sure. That's probably something that can happen, right? There's no other explanation, because there's no way that he was real. Castiel was just tired from healing someone and he was looking at a regular man, but his powers made him see something that wasn't there... Like an optical illusion. An optical illusion Castiel decides not to tell anyone about. He doesn't want anyone to think he's losing it.

He almost didn't come tonight because of it, but he knew Daniel would be disappointed if he didn't show. For a moment he'd actually considered calling to reschedule, but Castiel didn't have Daniel's phone number, and the thought of asking Kendra for it, only to have to explain why he needed to call her brother seemed daunting. So here he is, nervously standing outside his friend's door. It's a decent sized home for a single man, so Daniel must be doing well for himself.

Castiel takes a deep breath to reassure himself, and then knocks loudly on the front door.

A friendly voice calls from inside the home. "Just a minute!"

Is it too late to turn back and go home? Just as he's thinking he may leave, the door opens.

"Castiel! Glad you could make it." Daniel grins, opening the door wider for him to enter. "Come on in." He's wearing a dark green button down shirt and dark blue jeans, and it appears he's showered since church that morning. He's in more casual attire than his priest apparel, but he's still just as easy on the eyes.

"Thank you again for inviting me, Daniel. Ah- Father. Sorry." Castiel ducks his head slightly in an apology as he enters through the doorway. He's trying his best, but this is strangely difficult for him. Meeting someone as a priest is one thing, but when he already knows Daniel's name, it's harder to remember not to use it. Especially when there's other things on Castiel's mind.

Daniel closes the door behind him, shaking his head. "Don't be silly. We're alone and it's not a formal setting, so it's Daniel." He pauses for a moment as he slips past Castiel to lead the way inside. "Although, you can still call me Father if you really want." There's something in his tone that sends a shiver up Castiel's spine, but he chooses to ignore it for the time being.

Of course. They're friends, depending on whether saving someone's dog counts as automatic friendship. They're also not exactly conducting a business meeting, so he realizes calling the priest by his title would be unnecessary. "Daniel it is," Castiel decides, looking around the home. It's a nice open floor plan, but also cleaner than expected for a bachelor's house. From the entry area, Castiel can see the living room and a sliding glass door on the opposite wall, leading outside.

"So this is it. Living room with seating is to the left, kitchen is on the right. Bathroom is down the hall on the left, first door," Daniel explains, waving in each direction. "And the bedroom is the last door down the hall." 

That catches his interest, despite knowing it shouldn't. "Bedroom?" Castiel can't help but repeat, confusion on his features. Why would he need to know that?

Daniel clears his throat, nodding. "Yeah. That's where the clothes are that you're borrowing." Oh, of course. The clothes. You don't have to go in there, obviously, I'll just go grab them for you after we eat."

He nearly forgot why he was here, including the part about having dinner together. Come to think of it, the house does smell amazing. Castiel's stomach growls at the thought of being fed. To keep himself from just standing here salivating, he speaks up. "You mentioned burgers... Is that what you're cooking? I enjoy them quite a bit." 

Daniel flashes Castiel another smile, accompanied by a nod. "Yup! Best burgers in town, right here. In fact I should get back to it, I just threw some patties on as you got here." He heads back towards the kitchen, and Castiel can't help but trail behind him like a hungry dog begging for a meal.

"That sounds amazing. You know, you really didn't have to do all of this for me. I consider Scoot's recovery as payment enough," Castiel reassures, taking a seat on one of the stools at the kitchen island while Daniel begins cooking. The last thing Castiel needs is to feel more indebted to people, but people just keep offering him things. "Speaking of Scoot, where is he? I'd love to say hello."

Motioning over his shoulder vaguely with a spatula, Daniel shrugs. "He's locked in the bedroom right now, probably sleeping in his dog bed. I didn't want him jumping all over you when you got here. If I let him out while there's food around, he'll weasel his way into getting it from you. Trust me, no man can resist his puppy dog eyes," Daniel comments fondly.

Sounds a lot like somebody else Castiel knows. "Alright, well before I leave, I'd love to say hello to him again. He's a very sweet dog."

Daniel gives him a nod. "Can do."

Watching Daniel continue to cook their burgers, Castiel's eyes never leave the man's form. He's studying his clothing to determine if they will fit him, that's all. It's a reasonable thing to do. By the time Daniel gives the signal that their food is done, he's practically drooling. Over the burgers. Just the burgers.

"Food's ready. Ah, speaking of food," Daniel changes the subject, glancing over his shoulder, "Father Clarke and I determined that the church will compensate you for your services with groceries. We'll give you a specific amount to spend on food a week. I thought that might be the best way to repay you." 

Castiel looks pleased, and he nods. No more ramen for every meal. "That sounds perfect. Thank you."

Daniel nods, and returns to the task at hand. "You want a beer with your burger? I've got a few in the fridge," he suggests, serving up both burgers onto two plates. He slides one across the kitchen island for Castiel and then heads for the refrigerator. When he opens it, he pauses and looks over his shoulder, waiting for a reply.

"Sure, if that's what you have." Castiel gives a halfhearted shrug, much more interested in the main meal than he is with the beverages. 

Daniel laughs, and it appears he caught on to the lack of enthusiasm. "Well, I have some Cabernet Sauvignon, which pairs well with red meat, but I assumed you would be less of a wine kind of guy from your..." Daniel gestures in his general direction, but fails to get his point across. Castiel has no idea what he means, and he picks up on that. "Never mind. What'll it be?"

Castiel thinks it over, weighing his options. Beer is what would be socially acceptable to drink while eating a couple of burgers and hanging out with a friend. But he has the faint memory of disliking the taste of beer. So reluctantly, he'll take the wine. "A glass for me. Just a little."

Despite rolling his eyes at Castiel's words, Daniel nods. "Of course, you've got things you need to do." Both men know that that isn't true. Castiel mentioned earlier in the day that he doesn't have plans. Daniel closes the fridge and gets out two glasses for them instead, and then grabs the bottle of wine. Are they going to share the wine? When Castiel gives him a confused look, he shrugs. "It'd be rude to make a guest drink alone." Fair enough. Daniel smiles, and motions over his shoulder. "We can eat on the couch if you'd like." 

Sliding out of the stool to help the priest carry everything, Castiel grabs the plates of food and proceeds to follow Daniel into the living room.

When they arrive in the living room, Castiel takes a good look around. There's a decent sized couch made of a black leather, and a glass coffee table a foot in front of it. The television is off, but Castiel likes it better that way, so that he can actually have a conversation with the man. Disregarding the dog toys tossed in various locations of the room, it's fairly clean as well. The only decorations are a few small framed photos of Daniel, Kendra, and Katie. Some of the photos are missing one or more of the trio, but they're consistently of the same three people. It doesn't look like Daniel has many friends outside of his family.

Castiel sets the plates down on the table with a smile. "Your place is nice." He sits down on the couch, leaning back.

Daniel joins him, placing down the two wine glasses and the bottle of Cabernet onto the coffee table. "Thanks. I bought it with inheritance money," he murmurs, popping open the bottle.

Nice going. Kendra said their father died in some horrible way, and here Castiel is accidentally bringing it up before either of them have had any drinks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up." Before he can stop himself, he blurts out more. "I know it was hard for you." That came out wrong. "I mean, Kendra told me a little bit about how you were handling things." This isn't the topic he wanted to discuss.

"Don't worry about it. I just wish I got the bastard," he says quietly, eyes on the floor.

"Excuse me?" Castiel frowns, leaning closer to make sure he heard him correctly. It sounds like Daniel wanted to be the one to catch the man. Well, he worded it more like kill, but there was no way a priest wanted to kill someone, right?

"I was just saying I wish they got the guy responsible," he quickly corrects, pouring their glasses of wine. "My father was murdered, and they never got the monster who did it."

Sheesh. Nothing like some light banter about murdered fathers during dinner to kill the mood. Castiel picks up his glass and takes a long sip of his wine, suddenly wishing he hadn't said anything at all. He places the glass down again and sighs. "I'm sorry for bringing it up. It was wrong of me for trying to pry."

The priest glances down at his own glass before clearing his throat. "It's fine. You didn't know." He grabs his burger instead of focusing on the topic. "We better eat these before they get cold. They aren't as good reheated."

Castiel nods and digs into his burger to distract himself. When he takes his first bite, he finds himself holding back a moan at the flavor. This may be his first burger since waking up without memories, but he's certain it's the best burger he's ever had. Is it appropriate to moan in the presence of a priest, even if it's only over a burger? "You're an amazing cook," Castiel praises, mouth half full. At least he's changing the subject. 

That seems to perk Daniel up a little. "Thanks, I take pride in my cooking. Or- Poor choice of words. I'm not prideful," he quickly clarifies. He looks up at Castiel, embarrassed. It's kind of hilarious, and just the slightest bit adorable.

Castiel grins, resisting the urge to tease him too much. "Don't worry. I won't tell the church that their priest is a sinner." He nudges the other man with an elbow, returning the wink that Daniel gave at the church earlier in the day. Castiel's wink doesn't seem as well rehearsed as Daniel's does.

Daniel rolls his eyes, but he has a grin on his face. "Oh, so you're funny now, are you? Priest jokes, Castiel? Really? I thought you were better than that." Daniel starts eating his burger, mood appearing to be improved. "You better watch your mouth around me, Castiel. I could always tell God," he jokes.

"Tattling? Not very mature," Castiel retorts, and he makes no effort to hold back the smile from his cheeks. "I'm not afraid of God. I already don't know my past, there's not much he can do to punish me further."

Daniel sets down his burger, nearly finished, and picks up the wine to wash it down. "That's not even remotely true. What if he strikes you down, right here on my couch? That sure would be a shame." 

"In that case, I would die in good company," Castiel says thoughtfully after finishing his burger. "And you'd have an awful mess to clean up. I hear God's wrath is terrible for leather upholstery." Castiel swipes a hand along the shiny couch.

Daniel shakes his head, setting his wine glass down. "You're a strange man, Castiel." Castiel can feel his eyes glance over his body. "You know, I actually wanted to meet you for a while now," Daniel admits. "Kendra never shuts up about you on the phone, and she talks about how great you are with Katie, so I thought to myself: man, I have to meet this guy." Daniel looks up at Castiel, watching him. "You certainly live up to the expectations."

Glancing up to meet Daniel's eyes, Castiel momentarily gets lost in them. They hold so much kindness, but also a sadness hidden deep within. Castiel can sense it. The longing. But for what, he can't tell. "She told me a bit about you, but it was mostly related to the church. You've made a decent impression so far." 

Daniel smiles, seeming rather pleased with himself. He takes another long sip of his wine before placing the empty glass down. "I have, huh? That's good. Here I thought I was going to bore you to death. I haven't had any company in a while, so I've completely forgotten how to act."

"You're not boring in the least," he says sincerely. Castiel finishes up his burger, and then downs the rest of his glass of wine. Not necessarily how that's supposed to be done, but he was never taught wine etiquette. "You really do make the best burger in town." He assumes. Castiel hasn't tried any others, but he'll take his word for it.

Practically beaming, Daniel nods. "I told you I do, and I never lie." Daniel takes the opportunity to pour them both another glass of wine. Castiel doesn't object. He's really enjoying himself. Just two friendly men, sharing a bottle of wine. Nothing abnormal about that. Daniel speaks up again, handing over Castiel's glass. "You should come over more often. Cooking for one gets kind of boring," he suggests as he leans back on the couch.

He'd love that. Seeing Daniel on a more regular basis outside of the formal church setting... _Right, the church._ Suddenly Castiel remembers what he's here for. Unfortunately, it isn't just to sit with Daniel and talk about life. "Before I forget again, would you mind getting the clothes for me? I want to make sure I don't forget them when I leave."

Nodding, despite the frown that crosses his face briefly as Castiel mentions leaving, Daniel stands from his place on the couch. "No problem. I'll be right back. Feel free to leave your plate in the sink, I can get to it later." He heads out of the room, and Castiel exhales a breath he didn't realize he was holding. 

Daniel is so nice to him. What has he done to deserve a friend like him?

Castiel stands up from where he's seated, collecting his dishes from the glass coffee table. He carries them to the kitchen and sets them in the sink as gently as possible. This is a better night than he expected when he arrived. It feels good to just chat with someone, and not have to try to figure out things from the past. Daniel has a familiarity, almost like he's filling in for someone, and Castiel can't help but be drawn towards him. It almost feels like he's projecting something onto Daniel that he remembers from before. But that would be ridiculous. Castiel doesn't remember anything from his past, so there's no way he'd gravitate towards Daniel because of someone he can't even remember.

The click of a door closing alerts Castiel that he's returning.

"Alright, so I know you've only got the one outfit, so I grabbed a few pairs of shirts, and some pants," Daniel announces, walking into the room with a bag of clothing. "Some of these are old, so I don't need them back. And of course, there's the uniform for the church in here as well."

Castiel quickly turns to face him, his eyebrow raised in uncertainty. "Are you sure I need all of that? The clothes I have are comfortable enough." Comfortable, but hot. And if he wants to do laundry he's forced to stand around in the nude.

Almost as if reading his mind, Daniel rolls his eyes. "You need enough clothes to be able to wash the ones you're wearing, don't you think?" Daniel motions to the bag he's holding. "I brought a bag so you can carry it back to the motel. Remember where the bathroom is? You can try them on if you'd like." Daniel hands over the clothing, now only a step away from Castiel. He smiles, and Castiel can't help but stare. 

"I trust they'll fit. If not, I know where to find you." For some reason, he doesn't want to undress while he's inside of this man's home, picturing him in the other room. It'd feel wrong. "As much as I want to stay, I should head home before it's too late," Castiel suggests, but he isn't too fond of the idea of leaving, and it can be heard in his tone. He distracts himself by peeking into the bag of clothing. They probably smell nice, like the rest of Daniel's house. Minus the occasional dog smell.

"What's the rush? You haven't even said goodbye to Scoot yet," Daniel questions, eyeing Castiel. He retreats a step, and Castiel instantly wishes he hadn't. "Did I say something that upset you?"

"No, not in the slightest. You've been an amazing host. I just have to walk, and I don't want to be out too late." Especially with that mystery monster man on the streets. The one that was totally just a regular man. But he wasn't going to tell Daniel about that, because it was probably nothing.

"Oh, sure, that's understandable." Daniel scratches behind his head in thought. "You know I'd drive you, but I may have had a shot of something stronger before you came over... and then with the glass and a half of wine on top of it, I might be pushing the limit a bit," Daniel admits.

Castiel raises an eyebrow, leaning against the kitchen counter. "You had alcohol before I arrived?" 

Shyly, he nods. "Well, yes. I was nervous about having company. Like I said, it's been a while since I've done this."

Done what exactly? "I don't hold it against you. I barely remember how you're supposed to act when you're invited to someone's home."

They both smile, and then Daniel motions to the door. "Well, I suppose you should head out then. Before it gets too late."

Right. Leaving... But he doesn't want to go. 

Both men stare at each other for a moment, neither of them wanting to take the first step towards the door. He could just stay, make some excuse... But no.

Castiel is the one who eventually caves, turning away from his friend to make the short walk to the entryway. He can hear Daniel following closely behind to escort him out. Castiel's fingers brush the doorknob, and he hesitates. He turns around to say goodbye, but he's unable to make his lips create the words. Instead, Castiel just stares, eyes studying Daniel's facial features. They venture a peek at his lips before he can stop himself. What is he doing? He's supposed to be leaving. 

Daniel steps even closer, and the anticipation nearly kills Castiel. He's so close. Why is he so close? Without wasting another moment, Daniel leans towards him, placing an arm up against the wall for balance. Lips close in and stubble brushes Castiel's cheek. Castiel's fingers slip off of the doorknob, but he doesn't move away. He feels a gentle kiss placed below his cheekbone, and then Daniel takes a step back. Castiel's lips part to reply, but he still can't make any words. His eyes stare at Daniel, wide with confusion and surprise.

"Have a good night, Castiel. I look forward to working with you at the church," Daniel says softly with a smile.

Snapping out of his trance, Castiel nods and reaches for the handle behind himself. "Uh, yes. Goodnight." As his fingers finally reconnect with the cool metal of the doorknob, he opens the door and heads out quickly, leaving Daniel where he stands. As the door closes behind him, Castiel exhales heavily.

Daniel kissed him on the cheek. It was purely platonic, right? This is probably normal. He's just overly friendly... That's it. He's a priest, so there's nothing else it could be.

Quickly, Castiel walks down the porch and heads down the street, bag of clothing in hand. It sways by his side as he walks, and it's the only sound accompanying his footsteps in the night air. That, and the sound of his heart pounding in his chest. Tonight was good, and it didn't get particularly confusing until the last few moments. Despite that, he finds himself wanting more nights like tonight. He may have to take Daniel up on his offer to come over again soon, because he didn't get to see Scoot this time, so of course, he'll need to return again to see him. It's the reasonable thing to do, and certainly not an excuse to have dinner again. That would be absurd. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Typically I wouldn't include original characters as a love interest for a canon main character BUT I think Daniel is going to be a necessary addition to the story. Plus I kinda love him- 
> 
> Those of you here for Dean/Cas: all good things to those who wait ;) In the mean time, you get priests


	5. Losing my Religion

_That should be the last of them_ , Castiel thinks as he places the jar of strawberry jelly onto one of the plastic shelves in his fridge. He takes a step back and admires his fully stocked mini refrigerator before shutting it with a pleased grin on his face. For the first time since he moved into the Reed Motel, he has means to buy his own food. Thanks to the church-which sent him some cash via mail to the motel's address-he was able to go on a grocery run for the essentials. Goodbye beef-flavored ramen, hello real food.

With his shopping done and his counter stocked with enough food for the week, he's back to having no plans for the remainder of the day. He may as well go for another walk around the town to stretch his legs. It's only four, so he has a few hours to kill before it's too dark for him to be walking alone. Castiel hasn't been out past dark since he saw the dark figure on the street last Sunday. He's still sure the man-or monster by the looks of it-was definitely a hallucination, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Castiel stops by the bathroom to check his appearance, something he's made a habit of ever since he received new clothing from Daniel. If he has the ability to look like a respectable person, why wouldn't he? He runs a hand down the front of the black band shirt, straightening out some of the wrinkles from the day. He's never heard of the band on the front, but he's sure they must be decent if Daniel owns merchandise from them. Either way, a comfortable t-shirt is much better than wearing the same button-down dress shirt every day, so he's not too picky regarding what graphic may be on the front.

Leaving the bathroom and heading towards the door, Castiel grabs his room key. As per his ritual, he stands at the door and observes the inside of the room.

Few things have changed since he inhabited the space. It certainly looks more lived in with Castiel's clothing in the small closet and his food on the counter, but the main difference is the pieces of note paper strewn across the table by the door. Scribbled onto each of them is a memory-or rather, a fragment of one.

After healing Scoot and the woman at the church, Castiel started having dreams of his past. His theory is that they could be triggered by the use of his powers. Most of the dreams are incomprehensible and stitched together without any rhyme or reason, which makes them impossible to make sense of when he wakes. But occasionally, he'll remember a glimpse of a face or a building, and when he gets up he does his best to capture it on paper. He's not much of an artist, but the drawings are enough to keep the image in his mind. Hopefully soon he'll remember enough to put the pieces together.

As he finishes his look around the room, he opens the motel room door, mentally saying goodbye to the safety of his room for now. He heads out the door, looking down at the key in his hands. As soon as he steps outside, he collides with another person. 

"Oh, gosh I'm so sorry!"

He stumbles back into the doorway in surprise, clutching his room key. It only takes a moment, but after looking up to meet the gaze of the other person, he relaxes.

"Kendra," he begins. "It's nice to see you. Don't worry about it, I wasn't paying attention." She looks about as startled as he was, so he knows she didn't do it on purpose. After brushing himself off, he looks back up at her to find her still blocking his way. "Did you... Need something?"

Shyly, she nods, taking a half step back. "Yes, actually, there was something. I have a PTA meeting at Katie's school, and I completely forgot about it until twenty minutes ago. Would it be too much trouble if I could ask you to help watch her? She can't come inside with me, and I don't want her playing outside alone." 

Babysitting? This is new territory for Castiel. He's never babysat anyone alone before. Unless gardening counted that one time... But either way, this might be more than he can handle. 

A gentle hand on his forearm breaks him out of his thoughts, and his eyes lift to meet her's. 

"Please? It'll only be an hour, maybe an hour and a half. I'll be right inside if you absolutely need me, but she'll be more than happy to play on the swings with her best friend for that long." She puts extra emphasis on best friend.

It's like she's trying to make him feel obligated to say yes when she says it like that. How is Castiel supposed to say no? It's not like he has other plans, and he owes her so much already; it's the least he can do.

"Alright," he agrees, somewhat reluctantly. "I'll do it. Are we leaving now?"

Kendra nods, releasing his arm. "I'll get the car keys, the two of us will meet you in five." And with that, she leaves to collect her child, leaving Castiel alone in his doorway.

He finally closes and locks the door to his room and places the key he was holding into his pocket. Castiel pats it gently as he sways in place, waiting patiently for Kendra to return.

_What's a PTA?_

Regardless, a play date with Katie doesn't seem like an awful way to spend the last few hours of daylight. At least he'll be getting some fresh air like he planned. He's never been on a playground, to his knowledge, but he's sure he can figure out what's safe for children to do there. Kendra mentioned the swings, that could be a good way to spend the time.

Can he even fit in a swing?

Sure enough, in five minutes Kendra re-emerges from the motel with her car keys and her daughter in tow. "Let's go, people! I've never been late to a meeting and I don't plan on it happening today!" she orders, pointing towards a small silvery car parked in the lot. 

"Yes, ma'am," Castiel says sincerely, making his way to the car as he waits for the doors to unlock. After he hears the click of the lock popping up, Castiel opens the passenger door and climbs into the seat. He buckles in, not wanting a repeat of the incident with Daniel. He has the feeling that with her rush to get to her meeting, Daniel's sister won't be quite as patient with Castiel if he forgets to buckle up.

Kendra gets her child and herself into the car and buckles up with ease. They pull out of the small parking lot, but as they begin the drive, Kendra doesn't turn on the radio. She's too focused on driving to bother.

Castiel finds himself envious of his previous ride with Daniel. Even if the music wasn't ideal before, it was better than silence.

Katie comes to the rescue in the backseat, and she sings a made-up song to herself about a butterfly while Castiel listens intently. _Better than nothing._

After the fifth repeat of _"Butterfly you are so pretty"-_ Castiel assumes that's the name of the song, being that those are virtually the only words-they make it to the school with time to spare. 

Rushing everyone out of the car, Kendra shoes them towards the playground. Her attention turns to her daughter, who is already wandering to the slide.

"Katie, stay on the playground and be nice to Castiel. I'll only be inside for an hour or so, and if you absolutely need me, feel free to come inside. And stay out of trouble." She looks from Katie to Castiel and narrows her eyes playfully. "That last part is for the both of you." 

Castiel nods in reply. "Of course. I'll make sure she's safe." 

"Great! Have fun you two!" Kendra shouts as she scurries into the school building for her meeting.

Left alone, Castiel turns his attention back to the little girl. How to keep her occupied for an hour...? That is the question. He walks over to join her at the slide, a smile easing onto his face. "So, what would you like to do first? There's quite a few things here to play on," Castiel remarks, glancing around the area. Attached to the slide, he notices a swing set, monkey bars, and a small jungle gym off to the side. The surrounding area has rubber tire mulch to cushion a fall, if one were to occur. Seems like a safe enough environment to allow Katie to play in.

Regardless, should any injuries occur, Castiel happens to be equipped with the best tool for babysitting. Healing powers. 

"I wanna slide, but you gotta catch me, Cassiel," Katie explains, climbing her way up to the top of the green slide. It's only a few feet high-not much of a danger to her safety, Castiel notes. "Go stand at the bottom, and when I say ready, you catch."

She's bossy for a child, but being his first time babysitting, he appreciates the direction. Castiel moves to the foot of the slide and crouches down to ready himself. He places his hands up, prepared to stop her from falling off when she reaches the end. "Are you ready?"

Katie nods, holding on tightly to the metal bar at the top of the slide to keep from slipping down. "Ready!" She releases her grasp, sliding quickly down the couple feet to the bottom of the slide, where Castiel's hands are already waiting to soften the impact.

This activity is easy enough.

Castiel picks her up off of the end of the slide and then releases her, setting her on the ground once more. "Was that... Fun?" He can't imagine how a few feet of slide could be all that entertaining, but judging from her face, she enjoyed herself.

"Yeah! Again!" Katie demands, already climbing to the top once more. She holds the bar, and points for Castiel to ready his hands. She doesn't give him much time to prepare, but luckily this isn't as difficult as he thought it may be.

"Go!" Katie exclaims, sliding down into his hands again.

He slips her off of the end of the slide and sets her down, finding himself smiling a little. Her enjoyment does make this a little entertaining, he supposes.

She giggles once she's set down, and then runs back to do it all again.

The cycle repeats several more times, and Castiel begins to wonder if this game will ever grow tiring to her. 

As he catches Katie a final time, he spins her in a small circle, ending with his back to the slide. He'd seen a parent doing that while on a walk, and the kid seemed to enjoy it. The squeal of joy from Katie seems to indicate she enjoys it as well.

Once he sets her down, the little girl gasps dramatically. Castiel's eyes widen, suddenly worried he's hurt her in some way. "What? What's wrong?" As he's trying to assess any injuries, she points towards the church across the street. 

"Uncle Daniel!" Katie yells excitedly, bolting away from Castiel's grasp in the direction of her pointing.

"Katie, wait! Your mother said to stay here!" Castiel turns to catch her, but she slips away and heads for the road. Luckily, Katie stops at the sidewalk when she hears him call out.

Castiel looks up at the church and his heart picks up beat. He hadn't registered what she said before, but now that he's faced towards the church, he sees him. Katie's right, her uncle is across the street, and the shouting seems to have drawn his attention _. Wonderful._

The priest waves at the pair, looking both ways. _He's going to cross. He's coming over._

Castiel hasn't seen him since their dinner half a week ago, and he's not sure he's ready to have to confront him about how that dinner ended. 

Castiel's readiness, or lack thereof, doesn't change the fact that Daniel is crossing the street. He jogs up to his niece with a grin. "Hey kiddo!"

She reaches up for him, grinning. "Uncle Daniel!"

He picks her up with a swoop of his arms. "Goodness, you've gotten bigger, huh? Can't pick you up as easily as I could when you were a baby." Daniel sets her on his hip with a grin and a bounce. Only then does he turn his attention to Castiel. "Hey there stranger, been a few days."

_God, that smile..._

"Yes, it has been," Castiel replies. He feels like an idiot for only agreeing in response, but he doesn't know what else to say. _Why did you kiss my cheek the last time I saw you?_ That's a little forward.

Daniel nods and carries Katie over to the swings. "So what are you two doing out here? Is Kendra around?" As he sets Katie down, he glances towards Castiel, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, she's inside attending a PTA meeting in the school... To be honest, I'm not quite sure what that means." Castiel shifts, maintaining his distance from Daniel. He doesn't know why, but he doesn't want to get too close to him in front of Katie. It feels strange. Especially with how they left things.

A laugh escapes Daniel as he walks around the back of the swings. "You sure are a strange one, Castiel," he says with a smile flashed in Castiel's direction. 

Castiel's gut does a metaphorical flip when he sees the smile. He's not sure why. "I have been told I come across as strange. Hopefully that isn't a bad thing."

"Not at all." There's a short pause after Daniel's words to give Katie a gentle push on the swing, and then he continues, "Strange is good."

Another happy smile from the priest sent in his direction. Another flip from Castiel's stomach. _Stop doing that._

"Glad to hear it," Castiel says quietly.

Luckily, before the tension grows any thicker in the air, Katie interrupts their back and forth with a demand. "Higher, Uncle Daniel!" She kicks her small legs, wriggling in the seat of the swing. 

Daniel pulls his gaze from Castiel, turning his attention back to his niece. "Sure thing, sweetheart." He pulls Katie backwards, holding her swing in the air. "Ready for liftoff?" 

Katie eagerly nods, tightening her grip on the rubber-coated chains holding up the swing.

Daniel runs forward, pushing the swing up into the air. He ducks underneath as he continues running forward, narrowly missing a kick to the head, which earns a delighted squeal from the child on the swing. Daniel has definitely practiced this maneuver. Castiel is pretty sure it's the most adorable thing he's ever seen.

"Look how high I am, Cassiel!" Katie exclaims, using her legs to keep the momentum going.

She's truthfully only a few feet in the air, but he doesn't have the heart to tell her that. "Very impressive. You're practically flying." Castiel nods, crossing his arms in a pretend amazement.

As Katie continues to swing by herself, helped by the force of the last push, Daniel walks over to Castiel. He stops as he reaches his side, the pair now standing out of earshot of the child if they speak quietly. He stands there a moment, and Castiel can feel his eyes on him.

"So Kendra's got you babysitting, huh?" Daniel begins, drawing Castiel's attention. "Katie really likes hanging out with you. I can tell. Children are a good judge of character."

Castiel glances back towards Katie, smiling slightly. "Yes, she's enjoyable to be around."

As he looks back at Daniel, their eyes connect, and it feels impossible to tear them apart again. Castiel can't stand the tension in the air between them. He needs to understand what Daniel wants before he'll be able to feel like things are normal between them. Daniel kissed his cheek. Even if he's misreading the other signals, he needs to know what that meant. Castiel takes a step to the side, only now realizing he's been staring at the man in silence.

"Daniel?" Castiel asks, unsure of how to start his line of questioning.

"Yeah, Castiel?" The priest replies with a smirk and a quirk of his brow.

Here goes nothing. "I'd like to bring up the dinner we had the other night. It's been on my mind lately-" Castiel begins.

"It's been on my mind too," Daniel interjects. "Those burgers were great."

That isn't the response he expected. He doesn't seem to grasp what Castiel is getting at, so he'll have to be more clear.

"Yes, well, they were, but I was just wondering," _You can do this. Ask him_. Castiel clears his throat to continue speaking. "What you perceived our dinner as."

Daniel's previously playful expression changes into a frown, and now it's him that takes a small step back from Castiel. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Apparently that was the wrong choice of words. 

"What I mean is," Castiel begins, "The dinner... The wine... Were you just being overly friendly?" Castiel inquires. Under his breath, so there is no possibility of Katie overhearing, he adds, "At the end of the night, you kissed my cheek. It was unexpected, and I need to know what it was about."

Daniel shifts under Castiel's gaze. It seems like he's torn between answering and remaining silent, so Castiel continues without allowing him to say anything.

"If you were merely being hospitable, I understand. I could've misread the situation, and the conversation could end here." Castiel takes a step closer, now intentionally invading his space. He wants to give him a way out of the conversation if he's wrong, but if not, Castiel is on the offensive, and he's not going to let the subject be danced around. "The longer I think about what happened, the more I begin to suspect I wasn't misreading anything," Castiel says bluntly.

After a moment of staring away, Daniel's eyes return to meet Castiel's. "No, you weren't misreading things."

Castiel's heartbeat quickens. He doesn't know if he should be relieved, or if this makes things a lot more complicated.

"I don't know why it ended the way it did," Daniel continues. "I had every intention of having a normal dinner to get to know you and to thank you for what you're doing for the church, and for me. But at the end of the night when I saw you standing in the doorway-we'd had those drinks before that-I had the urge to just..." He sighs, shaking his head. "The kiss. It was completely inappropriate. I understand if you want to stop talking to me." Daniel's eyes reach him for a moment, but then they fall back to the ground. "But please, don't quit helping the church. My behavior isn't a reflection on them."

Castiel can't believe what he's hearing. Quit helping the church? Because of a kiss?

"Daniel, I have no intention of backing out of my arrangement."

"You don't?" Daniel asks, quickly lifting his head to meet Castiel's eyes. Castiel can see the hope in his features.

"No, I don't." He can't stop himself from speaking now that he's started, and the next words flow out effortlessly. "I don't wish to stop seeing you either."

Judging from the look on Daniel's face, he's as surprised as Castiel is to hear it come out of his mouth.

"I enjoyed your company, and the dinner was nice. You've been nothing but kind to me, and I don't want to lose you-" Castiel cuts himself off before the last word slips out.

_Again._ He was going to say again. The thing is, he's never lost Daniel. They only met a short while ago, so why did that sentence come so naturally? In the back of his mind, he feels a painful memory trying to resurface, another face trying to enter his mind, but Castiel pushes it away. This conversation isn't about this past, this is about his future. Whatever the memory was, it can wait.

"I don't want to lose you as a friend," he corrects. "While I wasn't expecting the kiss, I wasn't necessarily opposed." Castiel finishes, allowing the words to sit in the air.

"Oh..." Daniel replies lamely. He takes a moment before he can respond in more words. "I'd like to do it again some time. If that's alright." A beat passes, and then he amends, "The dinner, I mean. Although, repeating the end of the night wouldn't be the worst."

Castiel feels a smile tug at the corner of his lips. He can't help himself. "I would like that." Having dinner with Daniel again would make him very happy. Castiel looks down from Daniel's eyes, and finds himself staring at the priest's collar. His pleased expression drops into a frown. "Wouldn't your profession be an issue?"

"What?" Glancing down at his collar as well, Daniel shakes his head. "Oh, that," he says like he hardly remembers it being there. "No, they're fairly open minded here. They don't seem to mind if you're gay as long as you're only on your knees during church." Daniel pauses, and the tips of his ears and cheeks flush. He clears his throat. "Don't repeat that. Father Clarke would have a heart attack if he heard those words coming from anyone. Especially me."

_Daniel hardly talks like a priest,_ Castiel thinks to himself. Pushing the sacrilegious mental image of Daniel on his knees out of his mind, Castiel shakes his head. "I didn't mean your sexuality. I meant that they'd frown upon you having dinner with me as anything but a friend. Last I heard, priests weren't allowed to kiss their dinner guests goodnight."

Who knows? Maybe he missed that part of church-if he ever went, that is. He's still hazy on how he knows most of his religious knowledge. 

"You're a friend, and I'm more than welcome to have dinner with friends." Daniel pauses for a moment. "Father Clarke doesn't need to know you're a friend I happen to have kissed on the cheek. And I'm sure God will forgive me a chaste kiss." Daniel doesn't seem too bothered lying to the church. Or to God. He's definitely a peculiar priest.

Castiel is once again surprised by how Daniel speaks with zero regard for his work. "You'd break your vow? Risk losing your profession?"

Daniel waves a hand in the air, dismissing Castiel's concern. "A kiss on the cheek is a long way from breaking my celibacy. It's harmless, really." 

Despite what Daniel says, Castiel knows for a fact that any action with romantic intent would be breaking his celibacy. But as long as Daniel isn't going to bring it up, neither will he. 

"Besides," Daniel continues, "I wasn't meant to stay at this church long anyway, so I'm not too worried about what may happen if someone hears about it. I'm only here until I finish some work I need to do. After that, I'm transferring again."

So this is temporary. Castiel feels slightly disappointed knowing that when Daniel finishes whatever work he has, he'll lose him. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth continuing whatever they're starting, as long as Castiel remembers it's going to have an end date. Maybe that'll make it easier when the day does come for them to part. However, it's only dinner at this point. Maybe a chaste kiss on the cheek goodnight. No reason to get too attached.

"So... What you're saying is, you'd like to have dinner again?" Castiel asks hesitantly.

"I'd like that a lot. In fact, I could pick you up at the motel so you don't have to walk. Just give me a call whenever you're hungry. We can plan something." Daniel takes a step closer, and for a moment Castiel has the urge to close the distance.

The two men are interrupted before Castiel can do much of anything.

"Come catch me!" Katie demands, kicking her feet impatiently. She lost the rhythm of the swing while Daniel and Castiel were preoccupied, so she's sitting at the top of the slide instead.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming." Daniel responds, giving Castiel an apologetic look. "We can continue this conversation later." Daniel places his hand on Castiel's shoulder for a brief moment to dismiss himself from their conversation, and the familiar action eases Castiel. Daniel's hand hovers, and Castiel can feel the strength of his hand through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. Then the touch is gone again as Daniel leaves Castiel's side to join his niece at the slide. 

Castiel watches the two family members, a soft sigh escaping his lips. His relationship with Daniel seems better than before, even if the conclusion seems to be that physical contact isn't in the cards for them. Dinner is good enough for him, even if he wants more. At least Castiel now knows whatever he was noticing wasn't all in his head. As long as a kiss on the cheek here and there is the most physical action that amounts from their friendship, Daniel's status as a priest will be just fine. Castiel can handle that.

Still, he hates to think of what he's missing out on. Castiel turns to look towards the church, wishing it didn't have a hold over Daniel. Unfortunately, that isn't going to change just because Castiel wishes it.

He has the odd feeling that this isn't the first time God has been in the way of his relationship with another, and he quietly wonders what personal vendetta the Lord must have against him. 

As his eyes trace the outline of the church, something in the window catches his eye. He's not staring at the cherub on the outside this time, but at the figure of a man within the church. He can't make out any facial features through the stained glass, but he can tell the shadowy figure is definitely close to the glass, and facing his direction. The monster-man from the street crosses his mind. But it can't be... He hasn't healed anyone. Suddenly he's struck with a terrible feeling in his gut. This isn't a hallucination. This is real.

The pounding of his heart drowns out the sounds of Daniel and Katie playing in the distance, and Castiel takes a step towards the church. He needs to find out who that is. Even if they're here to find Castiel, maybe he'll get some answers as to who he is before they do whatever dark deed they're here to do to him.

The moment he takes a step forward, the shadowy figure retreats from its place in the window, back into the unseen depths of the church. If Castiel had blinked, he'd think the man-shaped form disappeared like a ghost. Castiel squints to confirm it's gone, unsure if his eyes are playing tricks on him, but there's no trace that the figure was ever there at all. Castiel glances over his shoulder as if it could've magically showed up behind him, but no one is there aside from Daniel and Katie playing off to the side. Judging by their continued play, neither of them seem to have noticed anything.

Castiel knows now, for sure, that he's being watched. And whoever watching now knows that Castiel has seen them. 

A creak from the school door makes Castiel jump, and his first thought is of the figure. How did it move from building to building so quickly? His second thought is about how much closer Daniel and Katie are to the door of the school than Castiel is. Castiel moves his hand in an upward motion, almost like a reflex. He grabs at the air as if he expects something to have fallen into his palm, but there's nothing at his side but his closed fist.

He glances down, remembering he's not in his coat, which leaves him feeling out of place. He doesn't know why that matters. Or why he instinctively moved like that. It's like some sort of protective instincts he didn't know he had kicked in. Luckily for Katie, Daniel, and Castiel, a familiar face of a woman exits the building instead of a monster.

"All done, who's ready to head home?" Kendra asks, rounding the corner. She stops in her tracks as she sees a concerned Castiel first. "Is everything-" She cuts herself off as her eyes land on Daniel playing with Katie. "Oh, Daniel! I didn't know you'd be joining us. Did Katie snag you on your way out of the church?"

Daniel grins, not sharing the worried expression of Castiel. "Yeah, she's got a good eye. I've been keeping her and Castiel company for a bit." Daniel stands from his kneeling position on the rubber tire mulch, brushing off his black pants.

Katie runs from the bottom of the slide over to her mother, freeing Daniel from his catching duties. 

"Little punk," Kendra murmurs affectionately, setting a hand on top of her daughter's head. "Well I'm glad you two had some time to see each other, but the three of us should be getting back to the motel. You're welcome to come along, but I'm sure you've got your own car. And you've probably got things to do." Kendra notes, giving him a way out of spending all his time with his niece.

Daniel spares a look in Castiel's direction, contemplative. 

Castiel isn't sure if Kendra notices the look, but thankfully she doesn't mention it. Castiel tries his best not to show any reaction to Daniel's gaze, but it's hard when his eyes meet the other's. "I actually have some church business to speak to Daniel about, I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving me a ride back." Castiel raises an eyebrow in Daniel's direction, hoping he understands.

Daniel nods, motioning for Kendra and Katie to go. "It's no trouble at all. I can give him a ride." Sparing another look at Castiel, he turns to face his sister and niece. "You two go on."

Kendra gives the pair a skeptical look, but she seems more amused than anything. "Uh huh. Have fun discussing your church business. Don't do anything Jesus wouldn't." She winks at her brother. Castiel notices a pink flush under Daniel's collar, and it appears Kendra does as well, because with a pleased expression, Kendra leads her daughter back to their parked car.

"Bye Cassiel! Bye Uncle Daniel!" Katie adds as she's dragged off.

Both men give her a wave goodbye. When they're out of earshot, Daniel speaks up.

"Kendra just loves to tease," he explains lamely.

Castiel isn't buying it, but he's not all that interested in the sibling banter. He walks over to Daniel, waving off the car with Kendra and Katie inside as it leaves.

Once they're alone, his attention is fully returned to his friend. 

"I didn't want to leave without finishing our conversation, or without getting your phone number." Castiel can feel Daniel's smirk oncoming before he even sees it. "I don't want to have to ask Kendra for it, that's the only reason I'm asking. I have a feeling she's already suspicious as it is."

Daniel nods, still looking pleased. "She knows I'm attracted to men. And she also likes to try to convince me that God wouldn't want me to wind up alone." He rolls his eyes fondly. "Honestly, if I hadn't have met you on my own, I'm sure she would've tried to introduce us by now, judging from the way she talks you up around me."

Daniel reaches into his rear pocket and produces his notepad and pencil, the very same he used to write his address on. It seems he carries it every time he's in uniform.

"She seems to have good intentions, even if they're misguided." Castiel extends a hand to take the phone number from Daniel, and he looks at it for a moment before putting it in his pocket. As casual as that exchange was, Castiel feels strangely accomplished for getting his phone number, even if they've already had dinner together.

"Kendra's always lookin' out for others," Daniel agrees, checking over his shoulder in the direction her car left from. "We should probably get back to the motel, huh?"

As much as he wants to stay with Daniel, Castiel knows two grown men can't just stand around a playground aimlessly. "Yes. That sounds like a good idea." 

"This way." Daniel motions with a nod of his head towards the parking lot. "I parked nearby."

The pair walk in silence to the car, each taking a turn to glance at the other, neither being very subtle about it. They don't need to be. They reach the familiar green Jeep and Daniel climbs inside, finally leaving Castiel's side.

Castiel looks up at the church once more, focusing on the window where he saw the figure standing before. There's nothing to be seen there now, but whoever was watching him could still be inside. They could still be watching.

He continues staring for a moment until Daniel rolls down the car window.

"You coming or what?" Daniel calls out, leaning across the seats to look at Castiel through the slightly rolled-down passenger window.

"Yes, sorry, I'm coming."

Castiel opens the car door, tearing his eyes from the building. As he looks away, he thinks he catches movement in the corner of his eye, but when he does a double take, there's nothing. He ignores the bad feeling he has, writing it off as likely nothing but paranoia.

He gets in the car and buckles up as Daniel starts the engine up and rolls up the windows.

"Music?" Daniel suggests, pointing to the radio knob. 

Castiel nods, and Daniel turns on the radio. A rock song floods the car through the speakers as they begin to drive back to the motel, and Daniel taps the steering wheel, humming along to the tune. The song is already nearly at the chorus when the radio is turned on, and Daniel seems to know it well, despite Castiel never hearing it before.

_In your house I long to be_

_Room by room patiently_

Looking to Daniel, Castiel leans back in the padded seat of the car. He's going to have to tell him about the figure he keeps seeing. It could put Daniel at risk if he doesn't say anything, especially if they continue to hang out together. He's unsure if Daniel will believe him, but even if he doesn't, telling him will be better than leaving him vulnerable.

_I'll wait for you there like a stone_

"Daniel, there's something I need to tell you."

Daniel glances over at Castiel as he drives, and a concerned look crosses his features. "Of course. You can tell me anything," he says over the next words of the song.

_I'll wait for you there alone, alone_

Castiel feels a twinge of guilt. He can't tell him now. Daniel looks so happy, so content, and the figure who is probably watching Castiel doesn't necessarily want anything to do with those around him. He doesn't even have proof it's really watching Castiel. There's no reason to believe anyone else is in harm's way as long as Castiel stays vigilant. He shouldn't worry Daniel over nothing.

"Nothing, I just-" Castiel bites his lip momentarily in thought. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me. And I wanted to say I enjoy your company."

Daniel flashes a grin, and the man allows his eyes to wander towards Castiel for a brief moment. "I enjoy your company too, Castiel."

He'll tell Daniel about the mystery shadow figure another time. When it's the right time.

By the time they get through the song and the first third of "Sympathy For The Devil"-Castiel notes the irony in listening to it in a priest's car-they arrive at the motel. Daniel pulls the car into the parking space in front of Castiel's room, and Castiel is slightly impressed that Daniel remembers which room he's staying in after only driving him there once.

"I guess this is your stop," Daniel jokes as he shifts the car into park.

Castiel turns to face him, eyes running over his trimmed facial hair. They halt at the sight of his thin lips. How badly he wants to be able to close the distance.

Instead, he forces himself to speak. "Thank you for the ride. I'll see you Sunday for the next healing." Castiel opens the car door, and it produces a squeak. He hesitates. "Or sooner, if I want dinner."

Castiel smiles, getting out of the car. As the car door closes behind him, he digs into his pocket for his room key. His fingers brush past the paper with Daniel's number on it, and he smiles to himself. Things are good. He has food, a place to sleep, and someone who cares about him. The shadowy figure is his only worry, and he's fairly certain it doesn't know where he's staying. Castiel unlocks the door to his room, but before he can enter he hears the engine of Daniel's Jeep shut off, and the squeak of the car door opening. He turns his body to look out of curiosity, and finds Daniel climbing out of the car. He must've forgotten to tell him something.

Waiting for him with a small smile, Castiel's back rests against the door. As Daniel approaches, he opens his mouth to speak. "Did you forget-"

Castiel is cut off before he can finish his question by the sudden impact of Daniel's slightly chapped lips against his own.

After the initial shock of the sudden kiss, Castiel sinks into it, his eyes instinctively closing. Fingers find their way to the back of Daniel's shirt where they rest between his shoulder blades, brushing across the smooth, black fabric. They attempt to grasp onto it, but find it difficult as the shirt is fitted to Daniel's torso quite well.

Castiel can't see what they look like at this moment, but he can feel Daniel's body close in on him, cornering him by the door. He can feel rough, well-worked fingers run through his hair and head downwards to rest at the base of his neck, brushing past the short hair on the back of his head. The feeling makes Castiel shiver.

Daniel must pick up on it, because he kisses him harder, teeth catching Castiel's bottom lip. His hips instinctively bring themselves in closer, closing any remaining distance between their bodies.

The gentle bite is enough motivation to activate Castiel's instinct to take control of the situation. His hands transfer from Daniel's shoulders to his hips where they hold him securely, preventing either of them from moving away and creating any distance between their bodies. Like it's muscle memory, Castiel spins them around in one quick motion and pins Daniel to the door where Castiel had been. A hand that was resting on Daniel's hip finds its way to the man's neck instead.

Daniel releases a soft sound of surprise against Castiel's lips and it's angelic in Castiel's ears. Castiel wants nothing more than to draw more of those sounds out from within him.

The sound of a car's engine slowly rumbling by snaps Castiel out of his impure thoughts. They're still in public view, and he's here with a priest. This won't look good for either of them if they get caught. Reluctantly, Castiel pulls away from the kiss to give them both a moment to breathe and compose themselves.

The whine from Daniel as their lips part doesn't make it any easier to keep off of him. Castiel's hand slides from Daniel's neck to lay firmly on his chest, keeping him in his place against the wall a moment longer. Just because he isn't kissing him doesn't mean he can't enjoy this just a moment longer.

Daniel opens his eyes and he makes eye contact with Castiel instantly. His pupils are wide with lust, and his expression is that of bliss.

Castiel wants nothing more than to move in for another kiss. The hand Castiel placed at Daniel's chest eventually drops, and Castiel takes a step back to free Daniel from his pinned position.

"What was that?" Daniel asks, out of breath and slightly stunned, but his tone conveys his satisfaction from what just happened. His hand lifts to lazily flatten his short, messy hair- a gift, courtesy of Castiel. Although, he makes no move to leave where he stands against the door of room 108.

"I could ask you the same thing, Father," Castiel replies, emphasizing the man's title. "I thought kisses on the cheek were your preferred method of expressing gratitude. This is a little more than that, don't you think?"

Daniel nods slowly, still processing what just happened. "Yeah... _Shit_ ," He whispers, leaning his head back to rest against the door. "That wasn't exactly planned." The priest's eyes close as he catches his breath, chest rising and falling slowly.

Castiel lifts a thumb to swipe at his own lip, wiping it dry. "I don't know how I did some of that. I don't remember knowing anything about kissing."

Opening his eyes and attempting to flatten his shirt down, Daniel meets Castiel's eyes again. "You definitely know something about kissing." A smile tugs at the corner of Daniel's freshly kissed lips, and Castiel finds himself holding his gaze, savoring it. He never wants to forget how Daniel's face looks at this moment.

"I wanted to keep going," Castiel admits, glancing over his shoulder towards the street. The car he heard was long gone by now, and if they were lucky, whoever inside might not have seen anything. "But then I realized you wouldn't want to be spotted outside a motel in your uniform doing anything like what we were just doing."

Daniel finally steps away from the door, composing himself, and he nods. "You're right. I don't know what I was thinking doing something like that out in the open." He clears his throat, looking back to his car. 

_He's thinking about leaving._

"You could come inside," Castiel suggests.

The torn look he receives from Daniel makes it hard not to drag him inside himself. He knows they both want this to continue, but it can't happen. Not now.

"I want to. I really do. But..." 

There it is. Exactly what Castiel was expecting.

"But you can't. I understand," Castiel finishes with a disappointed tone. 

Daniel nods, and he brushes his fingers along the back of his own neck. "I can't," he confirms, his own voice just as disappointed as Castiel's. Daniel steps closer to him and plants a soft kiss goodbye on his cheek.

Castiel leans into it, but by the time he does it's over, and he's left missing the feeling of those lips against his skin.

Daniel walks back to his car, leaving Castiel to shift awkwardly in place outside of his motel room. His key is still hanging in the doorknob, undisturbed by the pair's quick exchange.

"Did you still want to have dinner again?" Castiel asks hopefully, breaking the silence as Daniel reaches his car. He can't stop seeing him now. Not after this.

Daniel hesitates, weighing his options. "Hold off on dinner until next Sunday," he eventually decides. "That'll give us both a few days to think about this."

He doesn't need time to think about anything. Castiel knows exactly what he wants. But he nods for the sake of Daniel. 

"I'll see you Sunday."

Daniel waves awkwardly in a final response as he shifts into his car, and Castiel turns away so he doesn't have to watch him leave. Even so, the sound of the Jeep's engine purring to life tugs at something in his chest. He expected this, so he isn't sure why he's so disappointed. Castiel opens the door to room 108, unable to watch as he hears Daniel's car leave the small motel parking lot. As the sound of the car begins to fade slowly into the distance, Castiel steps inside his motel room, retrieves the key from the doorknob, and closes the door tightly behind himself.

He tosses the key gently onto the table filled by scribbled notes, sending a few of the papers sliding across the light-colored wood. With his other hand, he fishes Daniel's phone number out of his pocket. Bringing it up to eye level, Castiel stares at it a moment, memorizing the numbers. After thorough investigation, he decides to set it carefully on the table to join the key and the other papers. He won't need it until Sunday at the earliest. Castiel shuffles over to his bed and lies down on his back, feet hanging over the edge and his face looking up towards the ceiling. As he runs a hand through his messy hair, Castiel releases a heavy sigh.

_Until Sunday._


End file.
